ww1czechlegion
Well-known member
Here's a helmet I acquired recently. On first glance it's a common M15 Prussian enlisted helmet.
I purchased it because of the original chinstrap that came with it, and because of the kammerstampel on the back visor: II Ers.-Batl. I R 28 which I had never seen before.
Thanks to fellow forum member Lars, who shared the following information: "The Ersatz Batallion was formed in Germany when the regiment went to war, and received, trained, prepared and sent replacement troops for the regiment in the field." I had originally posted the markings here where Lars shared this information: https://www.pickelhaubes.com/xf/thr...it-marking-on-m15-prussian-pickelhaube.17172/
I found a good surprise when I received the helmet and noticed a maker marking from Düsseldorf that I have never seen before. I searched Joe Robinson's list, and discovered it is not shown on his excellent listing. Is this a new discovery of a previously not recorded helmet maker?
I can only read part of the maker marking, and so far I am unable to take a good photo of it since I don't have a ring-light flash capability on my camera, and cannot get enough good lighting inside the helmet in order to take a photo of the maker's marking without using a flash. Here is what I can make out for the maker mark. The underlined area is what I cannot see as the stamping ink did not take to the helmet leather:
"Hein___ Müller" on first line.
"Helm-un________nfabr__" on the second line.
"Düsseldorf" is on the third line.
The fourth line has a date of "191?" which is probably 1916.
There was some sort of paper or waxed paper type substance stuck to the viewer's right area of the front visor and to the viewer's left area of the rear visor, probably from sitting in a hot attic over decades of summers. I was able to remove some of it, but not all of it, by rubbing over the area with a damp rag.
The helmet was sold with 2-Prussian kokardes, 1-that was in very nice condition which was apparently lost or not shipped with the helmet when I opened the box, which does not make me very happy. I added an original National kokarde to complete the helmet. And the metal front visor trim is broken which I knew about when I bought it. Front visor trim is messed up a bit on wearer's right side at the split pin area, which I also knew about when I bought it.
Alan
I purchased it because of the original chinstrap that came with it, and because of the kammerstampel on the back visor: II Ers.-Batl. I R 28 which I had never seen before.
Thanks to fellow forum member Lars, who shared the following information: "The Ersatz Batallion was formed in Germany when the regiment went to war, and received, trained, prepared and sent replacement troops for the regiment in the field." I had originally posted the markings here where Lars shared this information: https://www.pickelhaubes.com/xf/thr...it-marking-on-m15-prussian-pickelhaube.17172/
I found a good surprise when I received the helmet and noticed a maker marking from Düsseldorf that I have never seen before. I searched Joe Robinson's list, and discovered it is not shown on his excellent listing. Is this a new discovery of a previously not recorded helmet maker?
I can only read part of the maker marking, and so far I am unable to take a good photo of it since I don't have a ring-light flash capability on my camera, and cannot get enough good lighting inside the helmet in order to take a photo of the maker's marking without using a flash. Here is what I can make out for the maker mark. The underlined area is what I cannot see as the stamping ink did not take to the helmet leather:
"Hein___ Müller" on first line.
"Helm-un________nfabr__" on the second line.
"Düsseldorf" is on the third line.
The fourth line has a date of "191?" which is probably 1916.
There was some sort of paper or waxed paper type substance stuck to the viewer's right area of the front visor and to the viewer's left area of the rear visor, probably from sitting in a hot attic over decades of summers. I was able to remove some of it, but not all of it, by rubbing over the area with a damp rag.
The helmet was sold with 2-Prussian kokardes, 1-that was in very nice condition which was apparently lost or not shipped with the helmet when I opened the box, which does not make me very happy. I added an original National kokarde to complete the helmet. And the metal front visor trim is broken which I knew about when I bought it. Front visor trim is messed up a bit on wearer's right side at the split pin area, which I also knew about when I bought it.
Alan
Last edited:
