M26 Adrian Helmet - Casque Adrian

Hi Andy, before I try posting the same pics again, could you try if your broadband works now? In the meantime, I hve posted two more helmets I have received these last days, both as a present fro mtwo different people. I have scanned them in a lower resolution for you. Thes eare some you certainly don't see every day.

The first one is an early kaki model which stil has the M-15 clips inside and no rivets on the front . I'm not sure whether this is an M-26 or even an M-23 model, it's the first time I hav eone in my collection though. It's something like and Hybrid model . The colors are colonial . The strap is only partly there, but Ican change that easily when I find a spare one. There is about 50% of the paint left.


The second is all the more interesting, as it is a homefront helmet that was used by railroad guards and railroad workers . They have the green triangle painted on the helmet which officially replaced their insignia. The helmets could be silver , but I have also seen them grren or green with a silver stripe. There are probably other colors too, epsecially as these were used locally too .

 

Hi Skipper, nice helmets. Also, have you ever seen an Adrian that was Russian issued-and either slightly before WWI or during it.

If I can find the site I saw it on-ill let you know.

 

hey Carl, would it be like the one i showed in post #50 - "SOVIET RUSSIAN M16 HELMET Izhora Factory" ?

 

ya Skip, i left my computer on for a good few hours......and "hey presto" the medic adrain showed up! .......looks good to me

It it usual for them not to have a red cross with white backround though?.....it would be hard to makeout the badge during combat - no?
(i did see some medic ones painted white in that link you posted before....i presume that would be the norm?)




but yes, I think lower resolution pics show up right away,so they are better for now....at least for me anyhow


the last two also look well.....the silver one is interesting......kind of "Dad's Army" sort, night watchmen - would these sorts of helmets be "second - rate" /not fit for combat troops ...... the same way that the british would often times use any defect helmets for Rescue parties,Air Wardens etc.

I had a british helmet once with three holes punched into the brim to indicate that it was not strong enough, or it might have a stress crack of some sort in it, and therefore should only be issued to homeguard troops or rescue parties.

 

Carl , there is a pic of the Russian Adrian on this thread, but it's an m-15 model . However despite the recolution, the Soviets were stil lwearing those without the mperial insignia up to the late 1930s.

Andypants; glad you finally got to see the pictures. I like those "second class" helmets. They are oftne disdaien dby cllectors, or worse they are painted over and are getting really hard to find.

 

Hi Andy, I think so but not 100% sure? Im going to try looking for that site again later today and if I fin it--ill let you, E, Kai and Skipper know about it ) I THINK that Russian Adrian also had a Regimental or Divisional creat or somekind of metal insignia on it's front. I wish I had written the url down for that site as well as a few other militaria sites. I only wrote down one that I am getting those Signals Offz tabs from.

Anyway, later this afternoon-ill try finding them again. I THINK I know where to find those sites because of a link I tried that was on Paul Koseks militaria site.

 

ok, cool Carl......ya it would be good to see those too

 

Hi Andy, as soon as I leave here shortly, I will be away from home about 2 hrs and will start searching for those sites when I get back. I think I should be able to find a few of them-one I know for sure-which has to mainly do with Aviation collectables. ;-))

 

Adrian helmets were even used by Siam and Peru , but also Serbia, the Czechs, the Poles , Belgians etc..... However the Russian only used the M-15 model . After the Revolution they took off the Imperial eagles and carried on using their helmets for another 2 decades in secondary units.

 

Attempt Nr2 at posting.

Ill keepit short, thanks Skipper for the info about Adrians in Russian usage.

Also, I know a guy selling his entire collection of Mil--Amer/German and Brit stuff. I don't know what is left if anything but sent him an inquiry about all of hie WWI and WWII EK2s, all of his WMC W/Swords 2nds-all of his East Front medals and his Silver PAB, Silver IAB and GAB.

Hopefully I will hear back from him tomorrow about these. I can't afford all but can afford several ;-)) If interested if I get a positive reply, ill let a few of you know what is what ;-))

 

that sounds alright Carl ....bet ya have your fingers crossed

if ya dont buy all the german stuff, do let us, (well me anyhow) know

all I have is a WW1 EK2 at the moment !

 

Hi Andy, will do ;-)) I checked my email this morning but nothing yet. Ill check my PMs over o the site this guy advertised on and see if he sent me a reply there--hopefully ;-))

A WWI EK2 is a nice start. It will either lead you to wanting more and more German items-or even just more EK2s.

I got my first EK2 (1939) at a local gnshow. Them quickly picked up two more 1939s-without ribbons-when I did a trade with a guy wanting the stuff I had for reenacting purposes. My first "outing" I got royally screwed, couldn't get rid of the itmes for s few years, then said-heck-went to a gunshow a few years later-found a guy who wanted all the junk I had-traded for two EKIIs and a very early weighted party banner. It turned out that one of the EKIIs was a Schinkle. Well, I gave one Ek to a friend in England, and the other to a WWII German Vet/Friend of mine who had already given to me the only medal he still had left from the war-which was his Russian Front medal.

Well, since those days, my EK collection has slightly expanded and I have about 22 EK2s ranging from 1870, 1914, 1939 and 1957. I have only 4 EKis-one 1914, three 1939s-one is cased.
gs and most of my EK2s are unmarked, but I do collect them for different ribbon styles. Now I add 2-3 EkIIs a year to the collection unless I see more good deals out there ;-))

If you think I have a large collection, a nice chap I know in Ireland sold most off to bad around 50 br friend hhas around 70 with about 7 being cased. Another friend of mind had around 50 EkIIs and several EKis. He sold most off and is keeping only 10. With the proceedes he got from the EKII "Harvest" he got a minty Feldgendarmerie Gorget and some tropical stuff.

My EK collection usually hovers around 16-22 because I sometimes trade off one or something else happens. Collecting EKs is habit-forming. I just yesterday missed out on one WWI EKII that had the trifold style of ribbon. Having one of those has eluded me for years now. However I do have two 1939s that have trifold ribbons.

 

hey Carl,

your right about that for sure, when i go to france next week, i have a little "list" of items im going to try and look out for, but i certainly would'nt turn down more iron crosses, if the price was right! - actually i know this is off topic, but what is the going-rate for a decent condition iron cross with ribbon - both 1st & 2nd class WW1/WW2 ? because i've seen prices fluctuate considerably.

The one item that tops my "wanted list" and Im certainly going to search for is a german 'saw-back butcher bayonet' .....that would make my day



...

 

Now, I will get "back on topic a bit"

.....I was thinking yesterday that considering this thread was about Adrain helmets, we should probually add a little information on their history, uses etc ... in case anybody else would like to read up on them.

So, the following is a good little article, well written for "Military Heritage Magazine", that I found during my internet research a way back, with some good descriptive information on how and why the adrain helmet (M15 model) came about being. It also mentions some information about collecting.

all the best,
AndyPants

Enjoy;
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Militaria: The French Adrian Helmet
By Peter Suciu

Until the First World War helmets worn by the French army served a ceremonial use and were a mere accoutrement of military uniforms of the day. The horrors of trench warfare in Europe changed all that as ghastly head wounds convinced planners that protective headgear was required.

Thick metal helmets were used since ancient times to offer protection to their wearers in combat and are among the earliest forms of armor. Various armies of the Classical Age can easily be identified by their distinctive helmets, which gave way to the great helms of the medieval period. This is when the shift began where helmets became more of a symbol of honor as their protective qualities were overshadowed the advent of firearms on the battlefield.

As the armies of Europe loaded the guns of August in 1914 the helmets in use had become truly decorative pieces and offered limited protection to the wear. Europe was facing the first major conflict after a long period of relative piece with the leaders of the day unprepared for what truly awaited them. While the British army had learned hard lesions from recent colonial conflicts, including the Boer War, France mobilized an army wearing almost anachronistic uniforms that were a hold over from the Second Empire. These bright colored uniforms of the French army would soon give way to more subdued horizon blue and the steel helmet would reemerge as an essential part of field equipment.

Introduction of the Adrian helmet
When World War I began the army of Third Republic closely resembled the fighting force under Napoleon III that met the Prussian army on the French frontier in 1871. While other nations had begun to modernize with drab field uniforms the French soldiers were wearing the Model 1877 dark blue greatcoat along with an updated version of the Model 1867 bright red trousers. Even before formal hostilities broke out plans were in order for an updated uniform. Still the French army would march into the slaughter of the First Marne with a uniform more fitting to a bygone age.

Following this military disaster the French army underwent a rapid regrouping that quickly replaced the aged uniform with something more fitting of the day. The M1914 uniform has come to be recognized for its sky blue color that would see service for the remainder of the war and in the peace that followed. With the first steel helmet this silhouette would become the defining symbol of the French army. It is worth noting that the color of uniform's cloth came about because planners originally were developing a fabric weave of the tri-color flag of France. But the red dyes had previously been imported from Germany and wartime shortages resulted in that color being dropped, thus the result is a mix of just the white and blue threads. These two colors together created the horizon blue color that we associate today with the French army of World War I.

Along with the updated uniform the soldiers received a new version of the French kepi, which would soon give way to a more protective type of headgear. As the men in the frontlines dug in head injuries were becoming more and common due to the nearly constant artillery bombardment. However as the conflict began many helmets were already in use. The French army had retained much of the pomp and circumstance of the First and Second Empires and this included the use of gilded helmets for mounted personnel troops including curassiers and dragoons, as well as infantry personnel like sappers. These chromium-plated helmets featured bright colored feathers and plumes and were clearly holdovers from a more chivalrous time.

These helmets were not suited to the rigors of trench warfare however, nor were some of the other ceremonial style helmets that had been in use in the period up to the war. The first actual attempt to provide some protection came in the form of small metal plates and bowls that were worn under the traditional uniform kepi. There is a common rumor that soldiers even wore soup bowls under their hats to offer some protection, but these are probably confused with an actual steel skull camp that was put into service by General Adrian in 1914. In fact it is more likely that instead of bowls being used to provide protection these uncomfortable metal skullcaps served as bowls for soup.

The fact remained that many fatal head wounds were caused not by bullets or blows to the head but rather by small and low velocity fragments. Any protection at all besides a cloth cap was seen as an improvement with many lives potentially being saved. The priority therefore became to provide a helmet quickly.

In 1915 an official protective helmet was introduced and it has been forever tied to its creator Intendant-General Agust-Louis Adrian, who based the design on helmets used by Parisian firefighters. This inspiration actually resulted in a rather complex helmet that consisted of several individual stamped pieces that were riveted and/or welded together. The actual design comprised an oversized skullcap, a two-piece brim with front and rear visor and a crest over the top that served to cover ventilation holes in the top of the skull piece. The liner varied in design but usually consisted of a leather band with additional fingers to provide padding that were held together by a drawstring to add support for the wear. This rested on a tin corrugated metal sheet that was designed to provide both additional ventilation and suspension while the leather chinstrap was attached to a pair of fixed D-rings on each side of the helmet. The actual thickness of the steel of the M15 was a mere 0.7mm, which was actually even lighter than the contemporary fire helmets, but still provided a great service to the wearer. Five factories began manufacturing these helmets and by the end of 1915 more than 3million helmets were produced and distributed to the French army.

The M15 'Adrian' was introduced with the same blue-gray finish as the uniform and beginning in late 1915 the French also introduced a fabric cover in light blue or khaki. While these were issued in large numbers few remain today and these have been heavily faked throughout the years. These were actually ordered abandoned during the summer of 1916. It was believed that the scraps of the cloth, which was quite filthy due to the conditions of the trench warfare, might possibly carry into the head wounds and cause serious medical complications for the soldiers. Later helmets were issued at the factory with a matte gray-blue finish that was darker than the earlier color. Because of the high number of helmets introduced throughout the war, and the fact that paint was not readily available at the front, helmets often appear today in both shades. French Foreign Legionnaires and other colonial troops also used a variety of brown and khaki painted helmets. These were never painted this way in the factory and helmets with this color should have the more typical color underneath.

Additionally while not common, some troops did take it upon themselves to camouflage their helmets with splashes of brown, green and even black paint. There is some photographic evidence of this practice but few surviving examples. Helmets with camouflage patterns should therefore be considered extremely rare today.

Because the Adrian helmets were popular with various Allied nations during and even in the ensuing peace that followed these helmets will show up in a variety of other colors with the most common, after the French gray-blue variations, being the brown of the Belgian army. The Russians also used a brownish khaki color while the Italians and Romanians used a gray-green color.

Helmet Insignia
From the introduction of the M15 Adrian the helmet was issued with a metal insignia that denoted the arm of service. Originally there were a total of nine emblems for the Adrian helmet but this number would rise to 12 by the end of the war. These were stamped-plates and consisted of a number of devices including a flaming bomb for infantry, crossed cannons for artillery, a First Empire styled helmet and breastplate for engineers, a crescent moon for Zoave regiments and anchor for navy. All of these featured the letters "RF" for the French Second Republic, but it is interesting to note that the original designs lacked these letters, which appear to have been a last minute addition. However it is believe that no actual emblems were produced without the "RF" letters and most encountered should be treated as "fantasy" items.
Emblem variations do exist however and collectors are urged to do the appropriate research but it should be stressed that this emblem type was used until 1937 when a new model was introduced with the same symbols but on a smaller circular base. It is common however to see the circular base emblems show up on Adrians on Internet auctions and at militaria shows but these should not be considered Great War era helmets.

The use of these badges may seem like another anachronistic element of the French uniform but it did serve an important role nonetheless. "Considering the artistic complexity of the standard issue French Adrian helmet, I think it fair to say that putting separate branch insignia on the fronts was indeed a French military fashion statement," emphasizes Dr. Robert Clawson, emeritus professor of European Military Studies from Kent State University and noted military headgear collector. "It certainly didn't contribute to the effectiveness of the helmet. It must be said that the helmet itself was greatly admired for the look of the thing, not for its effectiveness."

In addition to badges French helmets are occasionally encountered with painted insignia on the front of the helmets. While other nations, most notably Italy, used stencils or even rough painted symbols on their helmets it was extremely rare to find this style of symbol on a true French helmet. Again helmets found in this matter should be viewed with suspicion.

However other less conventional items are encountered today, although rarely, including the use of stars representing a general that are affixed to the front of the helmet along with a brass chinstrap. Helmets like one example that is displayed in the book Helmets: Combat Helmets of the World by Paolo Marzetti should be viewed as one of a kind items produced for a high-ranking staff officer who had visions of another era of warfare and should not be deemed common by any stretch of the imagination.

A more common, but still unusual item is the gilt brass plate that would be worn over the front visor of an Adrian helmet. Bearing the inscription "Soldat de la grand guerre 1914-1918," these were presented to veterans in the years following World War I. These items are occasionally seen for sale on Internet auctions but like other rare items fakes have begun to surface.

Variations and use of the Adrian by other nations
It is also important to note that there were many variations and experimental helmets that were used by the French army during the First World War. Because of their rarity, and the fact that these are not true "Adrians" it is beyond the scope of this article to include them all but many dubious fakes have surfaced in recent years. Again collectors are urged to do research before making any purchases for these items, as they should be considered extremely exceptional.

Among the more unusual of these helmets were those that featured a front visor. Throughout the war various attempts were made by the French Bureau of Inventions to offer face protection and most of these were used in conjunction with the Adrian. Major Polack of the French army designed a series of visors, which were attached to the rim of the helmet to provide protection to the wearer?s eyes. Because of the added weight and essentially limited benefits these were soon taken out of service.

The Dunand brothers worked independently throughout 1916-1917 and produced a Franco-American helmet that saw limited service in 1918. It was first manufactured in America and then produced in France. Unlike Polack's helmet this experimental model did not initially utilize the basic Adrian design but instead relied on an original design that no doubt limited the production capabilities. A modified version built around the Adrian was also produced. Both designs used a visor that featured numerous perforations much like a cooking colander. Additional other varieties of face production were used through out the wear and these often consisted of a facemask, where even chain mail was used, along with slotted metal eyepieces. None of these helmets were ever produced in vast numbers and most affected the wear's vision. Additionally it was nearly impossible to wear these helmets with a gasmask and the practical realities of war meant that the basic Adrian would remain the standard helmet of not only the French but also of various other nations.

The French M15 became an extremely popular helmet with other Allied armies in the trenches and was used by the Russian, Serbian, Romanian and Italian armies and was provided in great numbers to Czech and Polish volunteer forces. Each of these armies utilized their own unique badge but it is the Belgians who used the helmets in the greatest numbers after the French. These helmets featured the Flanders lion head crest while the helmet was painted a dark brown to match the Belgian uniform. Additionally African-American troops of the French 157th Division wore the 'Adrian' with the French infantry insignia along with their otherwise traditional 'American' uniform. These helmets should not however be confused with other 'Adrian' helmets that were used by American ambulance drivers that featured an American-flag design as part of the helmet's badge.

It is worth noting that while the typical French emblems have been rarely faked those of the other Allied powers are considered less common and thus have been reproduced in greater numbers. The most common of these high-end fakes are those of Imperial Russia. Russian forces serving in France were issued Adrian helmets, while additional Adrians were supplied to the Czars forces at home. The emblem of the Imperial Russian forces have been heavily faked and any of these encountered should be considered fakes unless you are dealing with an experienced and reputable dealer.

When the Great War finally came to an end in 1918 the influence of the Adrian would carry throughout Europe and the world. Many nations in the post-war period would adopt the style of helmets of the victorious French army, at least until developing their own unique helmet. The new nations of Poland and Yugoslavia would rely on the Adrians, as would Romania and Italy. Even the fledgling Soviet government would continue to use the captured Adrian helmets (and were believed to have produced their own version domestically) with a tin enameled Red Star throughout the 1920s.

The legacy of the M15 Adrian would live on and French would continue to rely on this proven style of helmet. The Adrian would be modernized slightly and updated in 1926, but like with the outdated equipment of 1914, this next generation helmet would be ill suited to the needs of combat in 1940.

Collecting World War I helmets
The French M15 has become, like other helmets, a niche collectible. While not possessing the allure of the German steel helmets or pickelhaube (spiked helmets), these helmets still evoke images of a bygone day and serve as reminders of the horrific conflict. As the 100th anniversary of the Great War approaches the M15 helmets have begun to appreciate in value. "The French helmets did not become to be considered very good until the last 10 years with the take-off of all things WWI," emphases Karl Kithier, a veteran militaria collector who has than 25-years of helmet experience. While German items have always been very popular, Karl doesn't equate popularity with collectability. "I think Adrian helmets are very collectable."

Also unlike the German helmets these typically did not return to America as war trophies by returning 'Dough Boys' but were actually sold off as surplus by the French government when the new model was introduced in 1926. As a result it is common to see Adrian helmets with post-World War I liners and maybe a newer coat of paint or two. These possibly saw service in the trenches, and it is unlikely that production runs of the helmet continued in the post-war years until the 1926 model was introduced, but these helmets are still viewed as 'post-war' by collectors.

However the M15 is still a rather common item. Collectors are advised to look for complete helmets with original liners and chinstraps and free of rust and damage. Helmets in better condition will go up in value while damaged helmets and those missing badges or liners probably won't be worth appreciate much due to the large number that are still available. As with all military collectibles the rarer pieces, such as those with the Zoave badges, helmet covers or with the sand-brown finish should be bought from reputable dealers.

The French M15 helmet was issued in the millions and provided limited protection to its wearers but it was better than nothing and while the German helmet might be the more desirable collectible today in militaria circles it is hard to argue that the Adrian isn't a very fine looking helmet. And it is a piece of history that belongs in every military headgear collection.

 

When was this written, as helmets free from rust are no longer to be found and even if I get one without a liner or a strap , I'm more thna happy just to get the one with original insignia and only about 60 % of the paint left? They are certainly not as rare as German Imperial helmets, but when you take away those who were used as flower post or left to rot in attics, they are actually harder and harder to get. The time whne you could find one at every fair is over I'm afraid, I wish they were more common, I'd buy a whole bunch of them.

 

it was written in 2000, so ya the collecting advice is abit out of date ......but Skip I'd say the real problem is that you've already bought all the adrains in france!

 

Not that many , I only have 16 of them (5 M-15 models, one M-23, and 10 M-26 or M-31 ones)

 

Hi Andy--first--happy hunting in France ;-)) There's bound to be lotsa goodies still there ;-))

EK prices.

It really depends on who you shop with. For instance-for 1914 EKs--I see 1914 EKis listed from between $175-to-several hundred. It depends on makers-conditions and such and whether or not it is engraved with the recipients name on the backside. 1914 EKIIs seem to hover from between $55.00-to-$about $90.00 depending on the dealer-condition etc. The last 1914 EKII I got I paid about $60.00 buying it only because of the unique ribbon style. The one and only 1914 EKI I got was part of a small Imperial German Marine NCOs grouping I got in trade from a friend. I basically got the EK1 for about $75.00 as well as his EKII award Doc and EKII--meaning appx $75.00 per item ;-)) Tis grouping is a rare kind of "bird" because it was fairly rare that an NCO would be awarded (in Imperial times) both classes of the EK-let alone being that he was part of a fairly small branch of service--the German Marines ;-))

I have three 1939 EKis-one recently acquired from a good friend in Washington-which I paid $100.00 for and did a trade for things he liked that I no longer wanted-which came out to about another $100 in value for the price I paid for this stuff. The cheapest-price I paid for a 1939 EKi was $80.00-this cross is in absolutely mint condition-with only so slight tarnish in a small area on it's back side. The rarest 1939 EK1 I have-I paid $125.00 for it at a gunshow allong with another badge-intotal I paid $300.00 for both. The Badge I got with it was a Uboat Badge-which also is in mint condition. The cross is an either L/19 or an L/21 marked cross-whichever it is? is a maker who is known for making EK1s with painted Brass cores-and some collectors call these the: "Kriegsmarine EKs"

1939 EKIIs depending on who you get them from? I see regularly from between $65.00 on up to $190.00-which is insanely high-but yet people are dumb enough to pay those prices.

If the guy I mentioned who is selling off his collection-falls through, I do know a dealer who is a good guy to buy from-still selling his for around $60-65 bucks. If you don't find one in France-let me know and I will tell you who you can get EKs from.

Sorry for the long explanation.

 

Well I have my medic helmet chaps. I need to adapt a strap from another helmet and it unfortunatley has no liner (yet, but I will find one soon, that's for sure) . It looks pretty good in a collection and brings some color among all the kaki ones. Originally it was a repainted green one

 

that is an excellent find skip, ya the white will look good with all the kaki

glad you found what you've been looking for!



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thanks Carl, - for the info on the prices, i will surely let you guys know of any purchases I make on my travels


over n out