Unique and top shelf??

Nice camouflage pattern but, however, the usefulness of it is not clear to me.

Regards :wave:

Edwin
 
I agree, seems a very odd pattern, however according to the pics on page 64 of Haselgrove and Radovic, there was at least one helmet painted exactly like this. It features across 2 pages in their book. It has the eyes the nose the white beak and the cross in the white square, but is very slightly different at the back. It even uses the same colours including the blue and the white. I cant believe there are 2 helmets painted like this out there, it is (or should be) unique. I reckon the ebay pot is a copy of the one featured in "Helmets of the First World War" [-X Watch this one fly through the roof ](*,)

Andy
 
Hey Andy,
Any chance you could scan and post that reference page for us? Do they say what purpose it served in your book?
I mean, like the guys noted, unless you were defending some museum with Picasso paintings and needed to 'blend-in', why in h**l would anyone need to wear such a colorful pot in the trenches??
Weird 'camo' indeed... however the helmet on eBay looks real, from the inside at least.
I would say these were painted post-war in the 20s for a purpose other than military...
 
I would probably agree with that Ron, I mean talk about making yourself a target. I will scan the pics tonight, though its a large book and might crush my scanner :D I just cant believe there are two such very odd helmets so closely resembling each other and both contemporary, though as always strange things happen.
Will scan the pics when I get back.

Andy
 
Sorry for the delay, heres the scan of the helmet.



Now there really cant be two such odd looking helmets out there that are soooo similar and contemporary? Perhaps Picasso had a lucrative side line in knocking out camo helmets :D

Its a mystery


Andy
 
Hey Andy,
Somehow the 'Picasso' in your book looks more subtle/less flashy (color-wise) hence more 'military' than the eBay one...
 
I agree with Ron that the camouflage pattern from the helmet from your book looks much more convincing than the picasso from ebay.

Best regards :wave:

Edwin
 
These painted helmets were done POST WAR. They are unique alright done for the tourist/soldier trade POST WAR. They have NOTHING to do with any Special Unit or such during the War period. Because there is two of them alike means nothing.
Jerry
 
These painted helmets were done POST WAR. They are unique alright done for the tourist/soldier trade POST WAR. They have NOTHING to do with any Special Unit or such during the War period. Because there is two of them alike means nothing.
Click to expand...

Yep, pretty much what I was thinking, although Haselgrove and Radovic seem to think that their helmet is contemporary. I think post war is far more likely. In the case of the ebay one I think it is very much more post war :)

Andy
 
Just as an aside, if you have any US painted 'Brodies', I've a few, they're ALL post war, done as echoes of what they saw the Germans doing and a memento. :)

:D Ron
 
Ron,

I take it that you're talking about the "Camo" painted helmets...I agree they are post war, most were done by troops while waiting to ship back home or for the subsequent victory parades.

However unit marked helmets may or may not have been done during the war. The 27th div was painting theirs in mid 1918, albeit in fairly muted colors as compared to some of the other divisions. I have a panorama of my great uncle's Lost Battalion company with several of the soldiers holding their painted helmets in Jan of 1919 (I have his helmet, uniform and gas mask, as well as his letters, and decorations). He was transferred from the 40th Div (a depot Division) to the 77th one week before Meuse Argonne, his company got separated during the advance and ended up with the 308th :D

Keith (usa1918)
 
usa1918 said:
Ron,

I take it that you're talking about the "Camo" painted helmets...I agree they are post war, most were done by troops while waiting to ship back home or for the subsequent victory parades.

However unit marked helmets may or may not have been done during the war. The 27th div was painting theirs in mid 1918, albeit in fairly muted colors as compared to some of the other divisions. I have a panorama of my great uncle's Lost Battalion company with several of the soldiers holding their painted helmets in Jan of 1919 (I have his helmet, uniform and gas mask, as well as his letters, and decorations). He was transferred from the 40th Div (a depot Division) to the 77th one week before Meuse Argonne, his company got separated during the advance and ended up with the 308th :D

Keith (usa1918)
Click to expand...

Keith, great story! AND I'm glad you have his uniform and such. Yes, I meant camo painted. :)

:D Ron
 
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