Hi, Just thought I'd put this on the forum as it's the oddest item I've ever come across, everything wrong yet everything right at the same time on this particular helmet! Bayern helmet (no doubt about that, brass Wappen is printed into the leather and ages of built-up dirt behind it), stamped, three times, for artillery but has never had the Bayern-style cruciform spikebase fitted (high magnification search inside and out shows no trace of any repair or imprint matching that shape), does however have the standard 1895 infantry style spike/round base and sliding vent cover (again 'correct' to THIS helmet, imprinted into leather). It is inkstamped on the neckguard 3FsAR, 2B, plus handwriting I can't make out, and II Garniture mark. This has been partly rubbed off, surface of the leather earsed, so it would seem this is a first issue. The crown is stamped into the leather 2FsAR (twice), 12K, 3B, CM, again I assume this was a second issue. So, just what IS this thing? We have a genuine Bayern artillary helmet with an infantry spike & base that every bit of evidence says belongs to it. It can't be an earlier artillary helmet later issued unstamped to infantry, which would explain the spike, since it never had the Bayern cruciform base, seemingly having had a round base from the start. Is this some odd early wartime mix of parts, still using a spike as Bayern did for artillery but with an infantry one prior to the balltops coming in? Seems odd to say the least, but the physical evidence points that way. I'd love to know if anyone else has ever come across anything like this.
I've seen mixed part helmets, have one myself from IR114 with a spike that is brass mounted on the M15 steel base but 100% genuine, presumably painted grey to begin with, but I've never come across one as strange as this Bayern.
I've seen mixed part helmets, have one myself from IR114 with a spike that is brass mounted on the M15 steel base but 100% genuine, presumably painted grey to begin with, but I've never come across one as strange as this Bayern.