British Private Purchase?

Peter_Suciu

Peter_Suciu

Well-known member
This is in my realm of collecting, but I just don't know about these:

First one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-WW1-BRITISH-OFFICERS-PRIV-PURCHASE-STEEL-HELMET_W0QQitemZ300030187255QQihZ020QQcategoryZ13971QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

This one I think has problems:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230040827226&fromMakeTrack=true
 
Peter,
Aren't these helmets typical of the miner's helmets used in the UK at the turn of the century? It would be logical that some might be used before the military issued helmets, but I would tend to doubt that officers would purchase helmets when their soldiers did not have them, and I can not believe that there would be many purchased after helmets were standard issue, although, there was an unbelieveble selection of equipment available to officers (their batman was the poor man who had to carry all this stuff), Here is a cartoon showing the stages of a English officer, first is the ideal image, second is the moment of departure, and third is after 3 weeks in the trenches.
bluejournalgn4.jpg

Best wishes
Gus
 
Hi Peter:

Both helmets resemble the fluted mild steel helmet manufactured under contract in Birmingham, England for the Portuguese Army and designated the Model 1917.

Chas.
 
You are correct Chas,
The big difference is that the liners on the Portugese helmets were sewn in via perforations around the crown of the helmet. I had not heard about private purchas British helmets before, but I had read that the Portugese had found that the corragation in the helmet was bad for helping schrapnel penatrate the helmet and they replaced many of them with British helmets later in the war.
Best wishes
Gus
 
Private purchase helmets were actually common. I've seen catalogs of the day, so relatives back at home could buy helmets for their loved ones.

I am dubious of these helmets. The first one, maybe. The second one I do believe to be Portuguese (British made of course) with a British badge added.
 
Hey Peter,
My eyesight is rather poor, on closer look, I can see that the liners are sewn in much like the Portugese helmets, was this normal for the private purchase? It seems that there are fewer perforations around the crown. It is interesting that in the late 60s, that the Portugese helmets sold for more than a nice M1915 Pickelhaube.
Gus
 
I remember even in the 1980s a WWI Portuguese helmet was really rare. But then so were Swiss helmets (they hadn't sold them as surplus yet), and so were East German. All three helmets were hundreds of dollars.

Now the Swiss and East German are dirt cheap, and Portuguese helmets cost almost exactly the same. They were $200 in 1983 when I bought one, and $200 when I bought one in 2003! :o
 
Winston Churchill returned to his unit and there is photo of a private purchase helmet with unit cap badge added . The Portugese had a small force in WW1 so the rareity of the helmets would make sence .
Most should be made prior to mid 1916 . I will look up an article I have on these ,it is MILITAria ,the English version .
zippey
 
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