RARE example of a WW1 French Army STEEL HELMET "Adrian Pattern"

The M15 Adrian helmet was a combat helmet issued to the French Army during both World War I & WW2

The first standard helmet of the French Army, it was designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare & head wounds became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties

Introduced in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet & it served as the basic helmet of many armies well into the 1930s.

Initially issued to infantry soldiers, its modified versions were also issued to cavalry & tank crews

A subsequent version, the M26, DID NOT HAVE the "bead" seen HERE around junction of rim & bowl

The M26 was used much LATER during World War II

PAINT appears to be 100% ORIGINAL to manufacture, as does EVERY ASPECT of this superbly preserved GENUINE antique steel helmet

SIZE = unmarked, but is approx. metric 58

At the outbreak of World War I soldiers in the French army wore only the standard kepi cap, which provided NO protection against enemy fire, direct or indirect.

Early stages of trench warfare proved that even basic protection of the head could result in a significantly smaller mortality rate among the front-line soldiers

Consequently, the French staff ordered development of a metal helmet that could protect soldiers from the shrapnel of exploding artillery shells

Since soldiers in trenches were also vulnerable to shrapnel exploding above their heads, a deflector crest was added along the helmet's axis.

Contrary to common misconception, the M15 helmet was not designed to protect the wearer from direct impact by rifle or machine gun bullets.

The resulting headgear was credited to Intendant-General August-Louis Adrian

MUCH MORE information HERE....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_helmet

The closing-line states that ...."Adrian helmets are still prized by collectors today"

This is only the 3rd EXAMPLE of a Froggy French WW1 Adrian pattern that I have EVER owned OR offered for sale