This experimental M-17 helmet was worn by soldiers in the Belgian Army during World War I (1914-1918). It features a fully rotatable face shield/visor that can extend in front or above the wearer's field of vision. The shield is secured to the shell by way of two split pins (one on each side) that extend through the shell and attach to an interior liner band. Small perforations are cut over the visual areas to allow for visibility while the visor protects from fragments and small arms. An earthy brown paint covers the helmet's exterior and each side is adorned with a red/yellow/black Belgian national tricolor rosette. Stress cracks can be seen along the curvature of the shell at the front and back.

The helmet's interior contains a British/U.S. style black oilcloth liner. It is attached to the helmet by way of an anchor-shaped liner band that extends around the inner front brow ending about halfway on each side and in the top dome. A leather chinstrap (broken) with a typical WWI construction used by the U.S. and Great Britain rests in the center of the interior.¹ It is secured to the helmet by the liner band retaining bolt in the dome and wraps around the top of the wearer's head (behind the liner) to chinstrap loops. The letters "HS" are stamped in the steel on the rear skirt.

Historical Context

 

When Germany invaded Belgium on August 3, 1914, they violated the Belgian neutrality treaty of 1839. As a result both Belgium and Great Britain declarad war on Germany a day later, August 4, beginning World War I (1914-1918).¹ At the time Belgium housed one of the best armament industries in Europe. However under German occupation they became dependant on Britain and France for both armor and weaponry production.² Until 1916 the vast majority of helmets worn by Belgian troops were French Adrian models. This led Belgian leaders to insist on creating a distinct Belgian helmet that differed from those of their allies, particularly a helmet that provided face protection to deal with incidents of shrapnel blindness. The experimental helmet project began with the monetary backing of the Belgian Queen, Elizabeth (1876-1965), who “wished to provide her soldiers with a helmet which should protect their faces and especially their eyes.”³ She chose the Director General of British Trench Warfare, John MacIntosh, to lead the project. Through the efforts of the British supply department and the Sankey firm of Wolverhampton, England, the distinct Belgian helmet became a reality in 1917.⁴ Approximately 40,000 Belgian M-17s were produced during World War I, and it saw major action along the Yser Front in 1918.⁵

Country: Belgium	War Period: World War I
Garment Type: Infantry Helmet	Year Made: 1917
Manufacturer: Sankey, Wolverhampton
Identification: FLH-08-0809