Austrian Helmet

[Danny L]

I'd like to share this helmet with the forum. My grandfather brought this back when he returned from France after WW1. He served with the 160th. I am told he brought back two along with his own helmet. I only remember this one as I now kick myself for playing with it as a child. When I played with it, the liner was perfect. Not so much anymore. I also used masking tape when I was a kid to make a German national shield on the right side. Good thing I never painted it, but it did leave residue on the helmet that seems permanent. Anyway, just wanted to share this.

BTW, as I am no expert on these helmets, I am told the shield on the back was to identify friendlies on the front lines from troops further back.

[PlaceOfBayonets]

Nice helmet! Too bad about the liner. It's rare to know what caused what to the liners.

W.

[jerryrehr]

Danny;
Can we see more of the back of the helmet the white Shield?
I have never seen such a shield painted on the back of a German helmet.
Jerry

[Danny L]

As requested. Here are some more photos. You can see the faint outline of the shield I applied with masking tape as a kid.

[langemarck]

still a very nice helmet, specially because it's from your grandfather.
I believe you're right about the white shield, i think i've heard the same explanation once.

[MauserKar98k]

I don't recall ever seeing a shield like that on the back of one of these before. Just makes it more unique and interesting.

[C. Roelens]

I don't recall ever seeing a shield like that on the back of one of these before. Just makes it more unique and interesting.

Nor have I... Anyone have any documentation/Information of the subject of the shield? Nice helmet.

Chuck

[Donald L.]

/

Danny,
Very nice Austrian M17. Rather than a shield it appears to be painted in the shape of the M17 helmet viewed from the back. Infrequently Austrian helmets can be found with these patches applied, most that I have seen are circular or rectangular/square designs. I agree that they served as recognition markers.
Regards,
Don

[Hoss]

An assault/squad leader? Its cool, first I,ve seen

Eric

[MauserKar98k]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread real quick because I found something pertaining to the marking on the back. I'm not sure how reliable of a source this guy is because he restores helmets, but it's the first information that I've seen related to the paint on the back of A-H helmets.

He claims it is a squad-leader marking, 'bout half way down the page.

http://www.alexanderandsonsrestorati...al-Powers.html

[Danny L]

Very interesting. I still have not been able to find any markings at all on the inside of the helmet. I really kick myself for playing with this helmet as a kid. I even remember wearing it to school in the 1970s for a Halloween costume. Back then the liner was complete as was the chin strap buckle.

[ARDITO]

Beautiful helmet, the Austrians helmets are more rare than the Germans.
The shield behind the steel helmet, was used by the officers who watched the attacks
with binoculars, to understand the course of the attack.
This is a practice appeared at the end of the war.
The various forms of drawing (circle, square, rectangle) indicate in which platoon, belonged to the soldier.
Italians on the other side using signs, wooden triangle, which were fixed to the ground during assaults.
Regards, Luca.

[Danny L]

One thing I never understood is the fact my grandfather never made it to combat while over there. He didn't arrive until Aug or Sept 1918 and spent his time in the rear with the gear. Did the Austrians have troops that far north? Most likely he traded for it as he did bring home lots of different things. I've got a German trench art lighter made from a belt buckle along with small arty shells made into candle holders. I imagine when the war ended, the soldiers collected all kinds of things to bring back home.

[ROBB]

Thats a great helmet and if you had not mentioned that YOU did the shield we would all be speculating on what it meant lol . And did you say the liner was perfect before you started to play with it in the seventies? Rob

[Danny L]

Yes, the liner pads were all complete back then. There is still scotch tape residue on parts of the pads where I tried to mend some rips in the leather. Yeah I know, but remember, back then as kids these things didn't mean much.

The shield that I referred to as doing myself was the WW2 national shield that I applied using masking tape and then painted the tape black, white and red. You see, back then I wanted a German WW2 helmet in the worst way and figured I'd just make this one look like it.

I pulled the tape off in my teenage years when I realized I need to stop messing with it and take care of it. The tape did leave residue on the right side of the outer shell. I tried to take a good photo of it.

The shield on the back is original to the helmet.