A rebirth?!?!?!?!

joerookery

Well-known member
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The rear visor of the helmet was originally issued to #5 Company of II Battalion IR 125. That appears to have been in 1913 when this would have been an M95 helmet. It was reborn however as an M15 and issued to IR 124. There are no repair markings I can see --- BJA or "F" . It does however have the controversial black spike support base on the outside.

It should be a Wurt helmet. I have asked the owner for more pics. What do you all think of the liner and the helmet?
 
Joe: Look closely at the front visor rail, particularly the underside. I believe the rail is brass, just filthy dirty.

Reservist1
 
I have an M15 here somewhere that has brass grommets. Could only have been an M95 shell, but it was completely re-fitted with steel M15 fittings. I love these converted helmets.
 
Is the wrong washer plate placement (on the outside) confined to helmets delivered to the USA after the war? I saw it almost exclusively on hemets offered there so far.
Perhaps they just mixed whatever parts they had left over to fulfill the quota.
 
Robert said:
Is the wrong washer plate placement (on the outside) confined to helmets delivered to the USA after the war? I saw it almost exclusively on hemets offered there so far. Perhaps they just mixed whatever parts they had left over to fulfill the quota.

Rob, that depends who you talk to. I believe these to be war-bond helmets, when large numbers of captured Pickelhaube were "prepared" in 1918 to be sold as part of the war bond effort in the USA. I just cannot see a German, working in a clothing depot, putting a reinforcement plate on the wrong side of a helmet. Does anyone really think that would get past the NCO inspecting these before getting to the unit? That could only be done by someone who did not know the purpose of the plate who was hammering them together.
 
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