Broadie helmet question.

[Blindpew]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...263894750&rd=1

Hi all,
can anyone tell me if this helmet on e-bay is genuine? The liner looks good, but my understanding is tht WW1 british helmets had "RAW" edges.Is he mistaking and it's actually a ww2 helmet?
Thanks in advance to any help here.

[ynot]

Hello Blindpew,

It's a Portuguese civil defence helmet (refurbished Brodie) from the 1930s, it has the Portuguese leather liner and remains of the CDT emblem.

The helmet shell itself is a MKI Brodie, only the very first Brodies were rimless. I think the rim appeared later in 1916.

If I have made a mistake or left something out I'm quite sure someone will let us know.

Tony

[ynot]

Check out this link

http://www.gostak.demon.co.uk/helmets/portugal.htm

Tony

[Blindpew]

Thankyou for the info Tony.Thats been a great help.I never realised that Broadies had the "lip" around the edge, I've probably missed loads on e-bay due to my mis-understanding.
Thankyou again for your reply.

Colin

[ynot]

Colin,

There is a big difference between WWI and WWII British helmets, check out the whole of that web site in the link.

The liners are different, the way the liner is fixed is different as well as the way the chinstrap bails are fixed. There's also a slight difference between American and British WWI helmets. Apart from the American ones only costing half as much, the bail fixing is round as in WWII British helmets whereas WWI British helmets have a split pin type fixing.

I'm glad I could be of help, this is the first question I have actually answered on the forum.

Here's another good site but not in English

http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/portada.htm

Bugger, I don't think the link is working.

Tony

[Blindpew]

Thanks again Tony, you have been a great help.I couldn't trace the link though,(stupid me, I've been there before as well looking at other helmets!).
I need to get my hands on a proper "broadie", but at least I'm starting to get a better idea of what I should be looking for.

I'll post any I get my hands on in the future.
Colin

[Brodie]

Thanks again Tony, you have been a great help.I couldn't trace the link though,(stupid me, I've been there before as well looking at other helmets!).
I need to get my hands on a proper "broadie", but at least I'm starting to get a better idea of what I should be looking for.

I'll post any I get my hands on in the future.
Colin

They are getting hard to get now a day's
ik have 3 compleet one's but they are not cheap

[Brodie]

Here you can see what the numbers and letters mean on the helmets
Steel suppliers:
FS, Thomas Firth and Sons (sept 15 thru 19)
HS, Hadfields Ltd. Jan 16 thru 1919
BS, W Beardmore & Co. Ltd. Jan 16 thru 19
MS, Miris Steel Co. Ltd March 16 thru 17
Until August 1916 mosty of this steel was supplied to Joseph Sankey and Son Ltd. for pressing into helmet shape. The remaining 75,000 sheets went to Bleriot Ltd in London or Army & Navy Cooperative.

Sheffield Muntions committee suppliers
A) Helmet Manufacturer
D, James Dixon & Sons Dec 15 till ?
H, W Hutton & Sons Dec 15 till
HH, Harrison Bros. & Howson Ltd. Dec 15 till
M, J&J Maxfield & sons Dec 15 till
R, John Round & Sons 1916
V, W&E Viener Dec 15 till
Steel Supplier
A, Edgar Allen and Co. Ltd 16-18
F, Thomas Firth and Sons 16 till 18
O, Samuel Osborne & Co Ltd. 16 thru 18
V, Vickers Ltd 16-17
B, Bury's & Co. 16-18
Codes on helmets should read M/A That is helmet made by J&J Maxfield & sons from steel supplied by Edgar Allen and Co. Ltd followed by a lot code for the steel.
Sheffield only produced small quantitiues a week, Edgar Allen and Co. Ltd was known to mark helmets with "Imperial".

Helmet manufacturers not part of the Sheffield Munitions Committee Group:
Army & Navy Co-operative Society Sept 1915 thru Jan 1916 (Not Marked)
Joseph Sankey & Sons Ltd. Oct 15 to Oct 16 (No marks except Steel suppliers)
Bleriot Ltd. May 1916 to October 1916 (No marks except Steel suppliers)
Hadfields Ltd. Aug 1916 to 1919 (Prior to Aug 1916 this firm only supplied steel no mark other than origianl Steel supplier mark) Aug 16 thru 19
W Beardmore & Co. Ltd. Aug 1916 thru 1918 (Prior to Aug 1916 this firm only supplied steel no mark other than origianl Steel supplier mark) Aug 16 thru 18
Miris Steel Co. (Prior to Aug 1916 this firm only supplied steel no mark other than origianl Steel supplier mark) Sept 16 thru 17.

Other marks not 100% identified:
MLS ?
FKS Possibly Thomas Firth % Son
M&S possibly Maxfield & Sons.
All research done by Marcus Cotton.

[ynot]

Hello Brodie,

Where did you find the research from Marcus Cotton?

Do you know what the numbers next to the letters mean, batch numbers maybe or something completely different? One of my helmets is HS 147

Tony

[Blindpew]

Excellent info Brodie, thanks

[Brodie]

Hello Brodie,

Where did you find the research from Marcus Cotton?

Do you know what the numbers next to the letters mean, batch numbers maybe or something completely different? One of my helmets is HS 147

Tony

ik got this from an WW1 Forum
http://www.1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?act=idx

i made an piece about the differanc between the British "Brodie" and the US "Doughboy"

i will post it here one day but i have to translate it first