Bambus m15 bavarian IR23

P

Pickelhaube

Member
Here is one of my latests acquisition to my collection. The seller found it during an houseclearing near Vimy ridge. The helmet started life as a model 1896 and was later changed into a model 1915.

I know i had to buy it when i saw the Bambus marking on the interior. I've seen Bambus marked felt pickelhaubes before, but this is the only leather pickelhaube i've seen with this marking.











Greetings

Pickelhaube
 
Hey,

Interesting helmet.

The Petersburgerstr. 77 in Berlin is still existing...There is now a China Restaurant there :D (another kind of "Bambus")...

https://www.google.de/maps/place/Petersburger+Str.+77,+10249+Berlin/@52.5194008,13.4526613,3a,75y,74.8h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9HFd_I48TpVP9BlQepRZMQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x47a84e6626a203d1:0xb1227b409d58b3c2!8m2!3d52.51945!4d13.45296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Philippe
:D
 
Thank you.

I really liked that bambus marking and i have no doubt it's original. But i wonder why the liner is dated with 1915 while the rear visor is dated 1910. It almost looks like Bambus upgraded the helmet from a model 1896 to a model 1915. It's strange that the helmet doesn't carry a "Bekleidungsamt" stamp.

Has anybody of you seen a model 1915 with the same marking in the liner?

Greetings

Pickelhaube
 
I can not answer your question but what a unique helmet and liner.

I have never seen this before.

Great find !!!
 
I've noticed that there isnt a IR23 marking yet in the list.

http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/Kammer_Marks.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If needed, i don't mind to take a better picture of the marking for updating the list.

Greetings

Pickelhaube
 
Pickelhaube said:
i wonder why the liner is dated with 1915 while the rear visor is dated 1910. It almost looks like Bambus upgraded the helmet from a model 1896 to a model 1915. It's strange that the helmet doesn't carry a "Bekleidungsamt" stamp.
Click to expand...

I would not worry about that. This helmet has probably been assembled late 1915 with some pieces which still were avalaible (old 1910 neckguard) and new pieces (the 1915 dated liner, iron fittings and probably a M15 shell and front visor). It was war time and lack of equipment had to be resolved by such mixity. If you look at the grommets under the Wappen, you will determine if it is a M96 shell (brass grommets) or a M15 shell (iron grommets).
Bavarian Bekleidungsämter did not regularly stamp such war helmets with BA, BJA or "f" stamps the same way the prussian BA´s did.

Philippe
:wink:
 
Very nice and unique helmet! could you please send that Bambus marking picture to Col Joe so he can add it to our manufacturer's marking list. Regarding the Regt markings on the rear visor, I am a bit confused by the last post here. Regiments stamped their markings once they accepted the helmet into stores so to me a 1910 date tells us the year the piece was accepted so all fittings would have been brass. The Bambus 1915 mark tells me the helmet was sent to Bambus, or Bambus provided liners, had a new liner put in it and then M15 fittings were put on. We could also have a scenario where the rear visor was salvaged from an M95 and reused on this helmet shell. As has been stated...look at the grommets and the area around them. Also...pull up the liner and check the stitch line under the rear visor. If there are duplicate holes then that visor would be an add on. Also on these converted/add on M15's, they often restitched the add on visor by putting thread through every second hole which shows larger stitches on the outside. We all know by now, that helmets were converted and reworked in order to save money and equip new troops with the basic equipment.
 
Thank you all for your comments.

I've send the pictures of the markings to Col Joe. In my opinion the liner was added when the helmet was "upgraded" from a 1896 to a model 1915. The grommets are brass and i don't see duplicate holes that would suggest that 1 or both visors aren't original to this helmet.

Greetings

Pickelhaube
 
Thanks for sending those great markings to Col. Joe. It seems in my experience, having handled and worked on many hauben that the conversion of M95 brass to M15 grey metal was haphazard. Sometimes, they removed the original brass grommets as well as all other brass fittings. Then again in this case, they changed all fittings but left the brass grommets. I have also seen on many conversions....brass grommets taken out and steel put back in with damage to the shell leather. Recently, I restitched a rear visor on a Prussian M15 where the brass rear spine had been painted grey to match the M15 fittings. My Hessen M15 has brass M91 posts. On restitched/replaced M15 visors they used large stitches and went every other hole. The thread used was not dyed black as is most of the thread used on M15 helmets. M95 and earlier have black thread usually. When you get to take these helmets apart as I do because of restoration, you see many things that were done to convert the helmet or just get it back into "field use" condition. It is very interesting, to see what was done during the war. :)
 
Fantastic helmet! 23.IR (Bavarians usually do the number first) was the last of the pre-war regiments, I believe, and with a Garnison at Landau.
 
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