Unique French/Belgian M15 Helmet with British Liner and Unusual Badge! Identification Help!!

[Dutch1730]

Hello everyone,

I recently picked up this very interesting First World War M15 Adrian helmet off of eBay and let me tell you, I am stumped. Heres why:

1) I'm not sure what to make of the badge on the front. This is the first time I have seen anything like it, and I'm not sure where to place it. The lion motif would suggest Belgian, and some other Belgian badges I have researched look somewhat similar, but I have yet to find an exact match. It seems to have been on there for some time, as when I tried to remove it the prongs nearly snapped and the whole thing was stuck to the shell, so I left it as is.

2) The paint on the helmet looks to be very similar to that used on colonial helmets, and let me tell you what a rough paint job it is. This was definitely painted in this mustard greenish-yellow color several times, and in some spots you can see traces of the original horizon blue paint. Even the interior of the helmet is painted in this color, with the inside dome of the helmet being much neater than anywhere else. The crest looks to have been removed when everything was painted.

3) There is set of two small holes on the one side of the shell, that look deliberate but could be random and just happen to be neatly aligned.

4) I saved the best for last. Instead of the standard French or Belgian liners (the seller said it was possibly Belgian), this helmet has a British Brodie helmet liner in it. The liner is extremely delicate, but it is glued to the inner rim of the helmet and was done so very sloppily. I have never seen anything like this at all, and it's caused me to have some doubts about this whole piece.

So let me tell you what I think this could be. (Mind you this is only an educated guess). I think there is a reasonable chance that this helmet found its way to Africa, where it served with some colonial force and was put through its paces, being repainted over and over again until it found its way out of service. As to why there is a British liner in it I have no clue, but it would make some sense if this African theory is true.

Alas, I have little other information outside of what I can see, so I again turn to the knowledgeable members of the forum to get any sort of input you can offer. If nothing else, any help identifying the badge would help me find the right direction to continue my research. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

(I am reposting this as I didn't receive any responses on my initial post.)