Brodie's Steel Helmet, War Office Pattern
Great Britain
Manufacturer:
Most likely Joseph Sankey & Sons, Ltd. (10/1915-10/1916).
Steel supplied by Thomas Firth & Sons,
Sheffield.
Conservation Notes:
Shell:
First pattern,
rimless “raw edge” (pre-April, 1916). Original condition as found. Acquired with partial chinstrap;
liner absent. This helmet was produced sometime during the few
months of the Fall of 1915 to Spring, 1916.
Liner:
Absent save for small
tuft of wool fibers at interior crown. Reproduction War Office Pattern liner handmade to original
specification in the U.K.
Chinstrap:
Small segment of
original chinstrap remains affixed to right-side bale with additional reproduction chinstrap on the left.
Stamps/Markings: - “FS 86” (Thomas Firth & Sons) cold-stamped on underside of rear brim.
- “W R Lat _ _ er” (partially illegible) handwritten in ink on underside of left brim:
 |
| W. R. Lat_ _er |
Miscellaneous: The acquisition of this helmet involved one of those rare occurrences on eBay where, for certain reasons, an important item will be overlooked. This was from an auction that was incorrectly described and somewhat poorly photographed. The original "apple green" color of these helmets can be easily misinterpreted as a bad repaint by those who have not seen it before, especially under flash photography, and that was likely the case here. There was only one other bidder and I won with my initial bid of less than $50.