The History and Evolution of World War I & II Helmets: Part III

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The Adrian helmet was a military helmet issued to the French Army during WWI. It was the first standard helmet issued to the French Army. Introduced in 1915, it served as a basic helmet of many armies well into 1930s. Initially issued to infantry, its modified versions were also issued to cavalry and tank crews. Its subsequent version, the M26, was adopted later and used during WWII.


The Brodie helmet was a steel helmet designed and patented in 1915 by John L. Brodie. The helmet had a shallow circular crown with a wide brim around the edge, a leather liner and a leather chinstrap. The helmet's "soup bowl" shape was originally designed to protect the wearer's head and shoulders from falling fragments. The shallow bowl design allowed the use of relatively thick steel that could be formed in a single pressing while maintaining the helmet's thickness. Although this made it more resistant to projectiles, the design offered less protection to the lower part of the head and neck than other designs. The steel helmet was known to the troops as a "tin hat" or for the officers a "battle bowler".


The M1 steel helmet was used by the US military for over 40 years. It was introduced officially during the WWII to replace the Brodie helmet but saw little action until 1942.



The M1 helmet is actually two helmets. The shell, which is sometimes referred to as the "steel pot", and the liner, which is made of various non-metal material, depending upon when it was made. The "steel pot" or shell cannot be worn by the soldier by itself. The liner can be worn by itself, or fit inside the shell and contains the suspension that ensures the helmet fits comfortably to the wearer's head. Worn alone, the liner can look very much like a full helmet. The liner is much lighter in weight and more flexible than the outer steel shell. The design of the M1 led to some novel uses. When the pot was separated from the liner it became a cooking pot, washbasin, bucket, shovel or a seat.



This post is 3 of a 4 part series. Please read on and enjoy. Also, if you are interested in more information on WWI and WWII Collectible weapons, uniforms and accessories, visit The Historical Weapon Store for a wide variety of quality war time replicas.