My Portuguese MK1 16/30 helmet
This one I have a few years in my collection. Almost complete, chinstrap broken...
DESCRIPTION (from 'Brendon's Helmets - Military Steel Combat Helmets of the World')
Portugal M16/30
Starting life as a British MkI, these helmets were refurbished and redistributed in 1930, the helmet had an improved liner, new paint and a sliding buckled leather chinstrap.
These would remain in active service until 1939, though they were still seen in the Territorial and Civil Defence roles after. A transfer with the "Cross of Aviz" was often applied to the front, as this example has. The "DCT" stands for "Defenca Civil Territorial"
Why Portugual imported these helmets from Britain is clear when you look at the relationship between the two countries in ww1 : (from wikipedia)
Portugal did not initially form part of the system of alliances involved in World War I and thus remained neutral at the start of the conflict in 1914, but even though Portugal and Germany remained officially at peace for over a year and a half after the outbreak of World War I, there were many hostile engagements between the two countries. Portugal wanted to comply with British requests for aid and protect its colonies in Africa, causing clashes with German troops in the south of Portuguese Angola, which bordered German South-West Africa, in 1914 and 1915 (see German campaign in Angola).
Tensions between Germany and Portugal also arose as a result of German U-boat warfare, which sought to blockade the United Kingdom, at the time the most important market for Portuguese products. Ultimately, tensions resulted in the confiscation of German ships interned in Portuguese ports in 1916, to which Germany reacted by declaring war on 9 March 1916, quickly followed by Portugal's reciprocal declaration. In total, from 1916 to 1918, around 91 Portuguese ships were sunk and 5 damaged by German U-boats causing at least 170 casualties.[1]
Approximately 12,000 Portuguese troops died during the course of World War I, including Africans who served in its armed forces on the colonial front.[2][3] Civilian deaths in Portugal exceeded 220,000: 82,000 caused by food shortages and 138,000 by the Spanish flu.[4]
LAST PICTURE : Portuguese M16 WW1 (middle helmet : I sadly have only the shell)
Portuguese M16/30 : from 1930 - civil since 1939 (on the right)
Portuguese M40 : WW2 (on the left)
.
Bookmarks