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Identifying French Helmet

Article about: This helmet has got the be one of the most interesting ones I have. lol Lebus, any word from the guy you e-mailed? Thank you all again so much for your help.

  1. #1

    Default Identifying French Helmet

    Hi guys!

    This is one I've had in the collection for a few years now, but I never really got around to researching it. I was hoping you all could shed some light on this? Is it an M26? An M15? I think the liner is for a U.S. M17, so I'm not really sure what that's doing in there.

    Thanks,
    Mo
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Identifying French Helmet   Identifying French Helmet  

    Identifying French Helmet   Identifying French Helmet  

    Identifying French Helmet  

  2. #2

    Default

    Perhaps a prototyp...the crest is missing
    The best Militaria forum in France is here : http://deutsch-militaria.forumactif.us/

  3. #3

    Default

    Artillery, of course.
    The best Militaria forum in France is here : http://deutsch-militaria.forumactif.us/

  4. #4

    Default

    well of course the french M15 came before the USM17. So some sort of prototype? maybe for a artillery cannon crew member. One question and how is the liner held in?
    Also maybe made as a souvenir item for US troops or a film prop.
    And as lebus said their is no crest which is unusual for a french helmet which used a crest (apart from some tankers helmets)1915- to around the 1970s/80s.
    Best Regards Matt

    On the look out for original ww2 M26 Adrian helmet liner.

  5. #5

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    That's one strange puppy Mo. Not an M15 or M26 in my opinion, something else. Could it be some US prototype based on the Adrian?

  6. #6

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    i ask tomarrow on a French site.
    The best Militaria forum in France is here : http://deutsch-militaria.forumactif.us/

  7. #7

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    I forgot to mention, the thing did have a comb over the top, but it crumbled to pieces one day. No idea why. I still have all of the pieces, but i barely touched the thing and it just fell apart into a dusty, powdery, metal mess.

    I'm guessing it was broken before, since the liner is held in by nut and screw through a hole in the top, just like an M17. The comb would have had to be messed with for it to be installed.

  8. #8

    Default

    interesting item mo ,i notice two pairs of chinstrap loops and a us m17 doughboy liner wedged in
    Regards James

  9. #9
    ?

    Default

    That is a very odd helmet.
    The liner is an M17, but the French M15 that has lost the comb would have a ventalion slot visible like this.
    Identifying French Helmet

    The comb was fitted with 4 rivets, two at the front, two at the side, your helmet has three holes at the back and none at the side. What was the comb made of?

    Are there any marks where the M15 liner retainers would have been fixed?

    Identifying French Helmet

    The badge is also strange, how does it mount to the shell? It looks like it has two screws where the cannon barrels cross, I have not seen this anywhere before.

    Prototype seems unlikley to me, maybe some sort of private purchase, that later had the liner swapped out.
    Steve.

  10. #10
    MAP
    MAP is offline
    ?

    Default

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma...

    Is it a three piece construction? From the pics on my cell phone I can't see if there are rivets where the two pieces of the brim would be attached. Or it looks welded/repaired. The helmet section also appears to have been sanded/repaired as the lower part is a different texture. Just a guess but may be the holes/vents of a standard m15 were filled in.

    Im no expert but IMHO and all conjecture on my part but it looks like a frankenhelmet. But cool none the less.

    Interested to see how this plays out.

    Btw.. what was the crest made out of and what did it look like?

    Michael
    "Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated

    My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them

    "Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)

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