The Adrian
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| The French M15 Adrian |
The French M15 Adrian - Casque du Modèle Général
A French M15 Adrian is a great way
to begin a First World War helmet collection for a number of reasons. First,
their ubiquity ensures that there will be many to choose from, so you can wait
until you find exactly what you are looking for. This also usually makes an
Adrian a very reasonably-priced first piece. From a historical standpoint,
obviously, France was one of the main combatants of the War and the M15 Adrian
is generally recognized as the first modern steel helmet. Lastly, aesthetically,
the Adrian is a very attractive helmet that gracefully combines elements of both the ancient and modern. It is also a helmet not as commonly seen in the U.S.; I would hazard to guess that far fewer laypeople would be able
to recognize a WWI French helmet than would a British or American helmet. One drawback, if it can be viewed as such, is that although examples of the French M15 Adrian may still be relatively plentiful today, it can be difficult to find in truly superlative condition. Many, if not most, were repainted at some point (even during the Great War period) and its light construction is prone to deformation. The challenge then is not in the finding of this helmet but, rather, finding the right one. As always, I do advise you to be patient.
In the meantime, absolutely everything that you will want to know about
the M15 Adrian (including those of nations other than France) can be
found at World War Helmets. This includes its
construction, paint, liners, the Plaquette Souvenir
veterans' visor, and all
badges issued during the War. It is a particularly valuable resource for determining
the manufacturer of a given helmet that is not so marked. It is a French site
so if you can’t read French you will have to use
some translation software, but this is absolutely your go-to site. An example of this helmet is also displayed in the Gallery.
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| The Belgian M15 Adrian |
The Belgian M15
Adrian
As so many of the Allied Powers
used the M15 Adrian during the Great War that in order to have these countries
represented, you will necessarily end up with quite a few Horizon Blue Adrian helmets. When presenting a collection, however,
this can all start to look a little similar, especially to those unfamiliar
with the subject. Adding to the issue, other nations’ Adrians are usually more
difficult to find and are often quite expensive when you do.
The Belgian M15 Adrian is one of the most beautiful Adrian
helmets and a great option for a second Adrian in your collection. Belgium was
a major battleground throughout the War, the helmet itself is a unique moutarde color that sets it apart from the
French helmets and the front badge is the face of a lion that
actually looks much more forlorn than ferocious.
These helmets are significantly rarer than their French counterparts,
so it may take some time until the right piece comes along -again, remember that condition is king. Watch out for the post-war
produced Belgian M20 Adrian –it’s very similar to the M15, but consists of three
pieces (front visor and neck-protector as one piece, bowl and comb) rather than
the four-piece construction of the M15 Adrian. You will see that these helmets
lack the attachment rivets at the side of the brim. They are often painted
black.
A Few Words About
Reproduction Badges
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| The Russian badge: Original (left), Reproduction (right) |
Being a unique color (khaki), The
Imperial Russian M15 Adrian shares
the same advantages of the Belgian M15 Adrian above, and has its own beautiful double-headed-eagle
imperial crest badge. Unfortunately, this helmet can be very expensive, as most
did not survive intact the conflicts arising after the capitulation in 1917 and
subsequent Russian Civil War. This brings us directly to the subject of reproductions
and fakes that might be encountered when dealing with Adrian helmets.
Obviously, the helmet shell will not be the issue here (as all M15 Adrian
shells are identical, regardless of country), but rather the replacement or
exchanging of the front badge for a rarer and more valuable one. Reproductions
are available for every country and branch of service that were issued during
the War. They vary in quality, but some are quite good and with a little
artistic skill, they can be very convincing indeed. Acquaint yourself with the
features of these reproductions before you buy any Adrian helmet and look
carefully at the paint on the helmet in the area surrounding the badge for any
signs of tampering.
The Italian Model 1915 - Elmetto Metallico
Leggero
The Kingdom
of Italy began the War using the standard version of the M15 Adrian received
from France, which was generally painted a grey-green color and worn without a
front badge. However, in 1916 they developed their own version of the Adrian,
known officially as the Italian Model
1915, but also sometimes referred to as the M16 Adrian or the Lippmann
helmet amongst collectors.
The Italian
Model 1915 was a significant improvement on the French design. Its body was
formed from a single piece of steel (versus three for the M15 Adrian) and it
eliminated the four rivets that secured the comb on the M15 Adrian in favor of
electric spot-welding. The helmet therefore retained the familiar Adrian shape,
whilst vastly simplifying its manufacture. The Italians also added their own distinct
flair: the comb is clearly taller, more prominently integrated into the overall
design and more aesthetically pleasing in its positioning than on the French Adrian. The result is quite beautiful and probably my favorite amongst all
Great War helmets.
Although
these helmets were worn without badges, regimental information was sometimes hand-painted, stenciled or even scratched onto the front of the helmet, often
in the form of a crown with the number underneath and most commonly in black paint.
Rank insignia could also be applied to the left side, although this seems to have
been rare and was far from standardized. Bersaglieri troops even wore their
Adrians with their distinctive cock-feather plume attached to the right side.
The helmet
should be painted a dark grey-green color. Like the Horizon Blue of the French
helmets, there is a wide variation in the color of the original paint. This can
be problematic when it comes to dating the helmet, for which color is often the
best indicator (see below section on post-war production).
The liner
may be either nearly identical to the French M15 Adrian, or with a leather band
and oilcloth tongues, or made entirely from heavy oilcloth. The chinstrap is
essentially identical to the French version.
Post-War Production of the Italian Model 15
The Italian Model 1915 was
produced possibly up to as late as 1933. Changes over the 1916-1933 production
period are slight and, thus, it can be difficult to differentiate a Great War
piece from those produced after November, 1918. The scale of this post-war production is not entirely known and very many original Great War helmets were merely repainted and received a badge during this time.
You will very often see Italian
Model 1915s with two vertical holes in the front. This was for the attachment
of a badge and is (almost) always a post-war addition. Beware of filled holes, sometimes plugged with rivets. You will also sometimes see combs
with rivets. Some of these may be repairs or reinforcements to the original
welding on Great War helmets or it may indicate a post-war manufacturing technique.
Whichever the case, I do not like to see rivets on an Italian Model 1915. One
of the most distinctive aspects of this helmet is its clean lines and I feel that
any rivets severely detract from its elegant impression.
At this time, the overall weight
of the helmet also seems to be a reliable indicator of the production period. It
has been found that helmets produced during the Great War are typically
significantly heavier (by approximately 100g-200g) than later production Italian Model 1915s.
Unfortunately, this is not something that can be determined from a photograph.
If you are concerned about
buying a 1920s or 1930s piece instead of one produced during the Great War, or have misgivings about a possible repaint, my
final advice would be to look at color. As I stated before, Great War helmets should
generally be a very dark grey-green color. After 1921, the color was changed to
a much lighter, pale mint-green (see below). The chinstrap color as well was changed to dark green and any
front stencils, if present, became much more standardized. Unfortunately, there is further confusion as I've learned recently that the earliest-issued Model 15s might have been initially a lighter green and then repainted the familiar dark grey-green later in the War. Research continues, so do take the following with some reservation.
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| Italian Model 15 colors. 1 & 2: pre-1921, 3 & 4: post-1921. Note that many color variations exist. |
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| Stencils, post-1921. These stencils were in use during the Great War but their form was far less standardized. |