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Anonymous
Guest
Comments?
Chas.
Chas.
That looks to be an Irish Army helmet. I used to have a very nice one, liner marked Dublin 1927 etc.
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Anonymous
Guest
Tony is absolutely correct. These helmets were manufactured by the British arms firm, Vickers, and supplied to the Irish Army in 1927. The brackets on the front of the helmet were for the attachment of an officer's pattern cap badge.
This helmet is number H 275 of 10,021.
The liner is quite similar to the type found in the M16 German Stahlhelm.
Though the shell is English, the liners were manufactured in Ireland and produced in two sizes: small and large.
The chinstrap, dated 1939, is also Irish.
The Vickers 1927 helmet was replaced by the British Mark II helmet in 1940. As they were withdrawn from military service, the Vickers was painted white for use by civil defense units and fire brigades.
Ungewöhnlich, is it not?
Chas.
This helmet is number H 275 of 10,021.
The liner is quite similar to the type found in the M16 German Stahlhelm.
Though the shell is English, the liners were manufactured in Ireland and produced in two sizes: small and large.
The chinstrap, dated 1939, is also Irish.
The Vickers 1927 helmet was replaced by the British Mark II helmet in 1940. As they were withdrawn from military service, the Vickers was painted white for use by civil defense units and fire brigades.
Ungewöhnlich, is it not?
Chas.
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Anonymous
Guest
Hi Chip:
From my understanding, the Irish Free State first tested the French "Adrian" style helmet, which proved unsatisfactory. The Government then decided upon the German design because it was, quite simply, the best.
Germany was first approached as the supplier, but the Treaty of Versailles forbade the export of military hardware. Consequently, Vickers won the contract to produce a copy (albeit inferior). It's interesting to note that a stepped ventilation lug was retained regardless of shell size, even though the helmet was never equipped with brow armor.
With the expansion of the army and reserves, the Irish Government renewed talks with Eisenhüttenwerk Thale, AG in the late 1930s to acquire M35 Stahlhelms. Versailles was no longer an issue, but Anglo/Irish politics were. Cosequently, the British Government undercut the Germans to ensure the Irish soldier once again resembled Tommy Atkins.
Chas.
From my understanding, the Irish Free State first tested the French "Adrian" style helmet, which proved unsatisfactory. The Government then decided upon the German design because it was, quite simply, the best.
Germany was first approached as the supplier, but the Treaty of Versailles forbade the export of military hardware. Consequently, Vickers won the contract to produce a copy (albeit inferior). It's interesting to note that a stepped ventilation lug was retained regardless of shell size, even though the helmet was never equipped with brow armor.
With the expansion of the army and reserves, the Irish Government renewed talks with Eisenhüttenwerk Thale, AG in the late 1930s to acquire M35 Stahlhelms. Versailles was no longer an issue, but Anglo/Irish politics were. Cosequently, the British Government undercut the Germans to ensure the Irish soldier once again resembled Tommy Atkins.
Chas.
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Anonymous
Guest
Companero,
Heres a link to a very informative website on the Irish Stalhelms. Very interesting :
http://pages.prodigy.net/mike_sullivan/Irish_M27/Final/VickersM1927a.html
francisco
Heres a link to a very informative website on the Irish Stalhelms. Very interesting :
http://pages.prodigy.net/mike_sullivan/Irish_M27/Final/VickersM1927a.html
francisco
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Anonymous
Guest
Hi Francisco:
Thank you for posting the link. I will certainly have a project on my hands if I attempt a restoration of this helmet.
Chas.
Thank you for posting the link. I will certainly have a project on my hands if I attempt a restoration of this helmet.
Chas.
Peter_Suciu
Well-known member
I have a nice Irish helmet but I've been in search for a badge for quite some time. My understanding is that only the officers received the badges.
Most of the ones on eBay are fakes. The real ones are quite hard to find. I was recently discussing hte badges on the Wehrmact Awards Forum:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122085&page=2
I posted a comparison of (what I believe to be) a real one vs. a fake one.
Most of the ones on eBay are fakes. The real ones are quite hard to find. I was recently discussing hte badges on the Wehrmact Awards Forum:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122085&page=2
I posted a comparison of (what I believe to be) a real one vs. a fake one.
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Anonymous
Guest
Very interesting thread Peter. Thank you for providing the link.
Chas.
Chas.