Is it real?

[joerookery]

Here is an odd one. Lacarde in his volume 1 of Casques... on page 112 has this picture

This is the only picture of this kind of helmet I know of.

Bruno kindly translated the text written by the author.

In the fall of 1914, the most remote, hidden resources were exploited in order to provide helmets to the newly created regiments, the formation of which had not been planned at the outbreak of war. To the point of even emptying the clothing depots of some police and fireman departments! Indeed, the helmet pictured on (4) was initially a fireman helmet! The front emblem used to be the arms of a german city and the original chinstrap, of which only the bolts, nuts and rosettes are left, was made of a leather strap and buckle.
In order to “militarize’ this helmet they:
• Replaced the chinstrap with a (cannibalized) 1891 model
• Replaced the front plate by a line prussian eagle
• And, exquisite detail, adorned the white metal crest with a … wooden spike!
At war you must adapt, and the camouflage cloth could in part conceal this sublime creation of a Bekleidungsamt.
Oddly, this helmet bears an Unteroffizier’s cockade, whereas it is most unlikely that such a crazy headgear ever saw the head of a prussian Feldwebel!

Well look what showed up on my doorstep as Mike would say...

The spike seems to be made of brass not wood. The liner is dyed on both sides. No cockades, no Wappen, no grommets, no guarantee. I did not pay much for this.

What are your thoughts?

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

Joe- very cool, glad you finally received it, I was looking forward to seeing it.

This is really coool and I am sure is possible that this happened.

Any chance of seeing pictures of straight on the front of your helm?

James

 

[joerookery]

Some more pictures -- sorry they are inside, out of focus, and my hands are shaking -- best I can do today.

Like the Lacarde spike, it does not go to the top of the shell but rather rests in a cut out and is soldered -- old or new? There is a picture of the stitching of the front visor and of the holes.

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

This is to cool, at least I think it is. Lets see if we can get a Plate on the front of this bad boy, what are the measurements between the holes?

james

 

[joerookery]

5.8 cm

 

[JR92]

Hello,
20 years ago, a friend found one like this, near Le Moulin de Ripont, in the "Dormoise" little river.(Champagne).
The spike was made of wood.
Best regards. \/

 

[Gustaf]

I am inclined to believe that these helmets are theater props, my opinion is not based on fact, just the felinig that a German soldier would be more comfortable wearing a Mütze rather than a helmet such as thins. We know that troops served in fromt lines wearing Mützen.
Gus

 

[flasheart]

Guys,

I tend to agree with Gus that the added spike is a theatre prop, only because I had the misfortune to acquire a poor imitation of a M1842, that I believe was a theatre prop, from a dodgy seller in Germany last year (it has now gone back to Germany) and the spike was basically identical to the soldered spike in this picture, even the same very dull brass alloy and a similar soldering job.

Mike

 

[joerookery]

Thank you for the thoughts! I don't know myself -- I'm not going to throw it out I think it will hang around as one of those strange anomaly things. I would feel far more confident if this had had a wooden spike.

Maybe I should put it on eBay and say it is a rare one-of-a-kind helmet -- it probably is one of a kind I just don't know what kind! It is interesting. :la: