Steve Nick
Well-known member
I bought this years ago from a good friend who wanted a representative German helmet in his WW I Canadian medals collection. Sadly, he was disposing of his collection as he had a terminal illness. I knew the helmet had issues but he was trying to spare his wife having to sell off his stuff so I asked the price and paid it, no questions asked. It’s an early issue helmet (based on the heavy gauge leather liner band) that escaped being camoflauged so I’m guessing it was captured prior to the summer of 1918?
Maker Stamp is BF (B is obscured but as only one maker used an F in their stamp it is BF). Stands for F. C. Bellinger of Fulda. Size 62 (small).
F. C. Bellinger made only two helmet sizes, 62 and 64.
I assume that the number 8859 (ghosted number 1 ?) stamped in the dome is the Heat Lot number.
Size 62 is also stenciled inside the skirt. Was this done at the depot, the factory or at the unit level?
Issues
Has a repro chin-strap. Not a problem in my mind given the regularity with which the chinstraps would fall off using the M91 post method.
I believe the liner has been removed (probably post-war) and two missing liner pads replaced and new liner split pins used to re-install the liner. Likely that the pins were broken during the replacement effort.
Maker Stamp is BF (B is obscured but as only one maker used an F in their stamp it is BF). Stands for F. C. Bellinger of Fulda. Size 62 (small).
F. C. Bellinger made only two helmet sizes, 62 and 64.
I assume that the number 8859 (ghosted number 1 ?) stamped in the dome is the Heat Lot number.
Size 62 is also stenciled inside the skirt. Was this done at the depot, the factory or at the unit level?
Issues
Has a repro chin-strap. Not a problem in my mind given the regularity with which the chinstraps would fall off using the M91 post method.
I believe the liner has been removed (probably post-war) and two missing liner pads replaced and new liner split pins used to re-install the liner. Likely that the pins were broken during the replacement effort.