SkipperJohn
Well-known member
This helmet was mailed to a relative of mine in 1918. The story goes that it was sent to her by her fiancée, called betrothed at the time, while he was serving in France. A different version from one family member says that she was not betrothed; instead she was his 8th grade teacher. I do not know who the soldier was or if he ever made it back from France.
Miss MacPhillips kept the helmet and passed it to another family member. The helmet was then given to my Stepfather's Stepfather, my Grandfather, sort of. We do not need to delve into the convoluted branches of my family tree.
My Grandfather, also a World War 1 veteran, had no interest in the helmet, but he never got rid of it. He kept it in his barn in Indiana. After he rediscovered it he gave it to me.
This soldier obviously wanted Miss MacPhillips to get this helmet because he attached three mailing labels to it. None of the mailing labels are legible now:
He also added her address to all three of the liner pads:
I have never modified, cleaned, or restored anything on this helmet. At most I have dusted if off with a soft rag. It is exactly how it was when my Grandfather gave it to me.
I keep it this way because it is indicative of the way things are really found. I seek perfection in a hobby where little perfection is found. I often see helmets advertised, listed, or shown that are "untouched", when in fact, they are anything but untouched.
Oddly, when people see my collection, especially dealers, this is the helmet they have no interest in. It is too imperfect. It has stuff glued to it. It doesn't look right. "It's too bad somebody screwed it up", is often the comment made. They don't seem to realize that these were not brought back as collector's items. There was a completely different reason for sending these home at the time.
I wonder where I put that Iraqi flag I brought back???
John
Miss MacPhillips kept the helmet and passed it to another family member. The helmet was then given to my Stepfather's Stepfather, my Grandfather, sort of. We do not need to delve into the convoluted branches of my family tree.
My Grandfather, also a World War 1 veteran, had no interest in the helmet, but he never got rid of it. He kept it in his barn in Indiana. After he rediscovered it he gave it to me.
This soldier obviously wanted Miss MacPhillips to get this helmet because he attached three mailing labels to it. None of the mailing labels are legible now:
He also added her address to all three of the liner pads:
I have never modified, cleaned, or restored anything on this helmet. At most I have dusted if off with a soft rag. It is exactly how it was when my Grandfather gave it to me.
I keep it this way because it is indicative of the way things are really found. I seek perfection in a hobby where little perfection is found. I often see helmets advertised, listed, or shown that are "untouched", when in fact, they are anything but untouched.
Oddly, when people see my collection, especially dealers, this is the helmet they have no interest in. It is too imperfect. It has stuff glued to it. It doesn't look right. "It's too bad somebody screwed it up", is often the comment made. They don't seem to realize that these were not brought back as collector's items. There was a completely different reason for sending these home at the time.
I wonder where I put that Iraqi flag I brought back???
John
