French Adrian with russian brown colour and skull...info/help

[Kruger1933]

Hallo to all,
a few years ago I found this model Adrian helmet with brown coloring as on Russian models, only the inner dome is still French blue.
Everything seems to be assembled from time to time and under the inner leather (partially detached) there are numbers in black stamping a white square behind the front sign.
My question is to the front sign. Can it be original with a meaning, or is it pure fantasy?

Thanks in advance for all the help.

Regards

Hani

[Kruger1933]

N.2

[peter monahan]

Puzzling combination: sky blue repainted brown for lower visibility. Check. Big black cross with white edges which makes it WAY more visible. ???

[Kruger1933]

In fact, for this reason I ask for information, maybe it's just a joke.

[peter monahan]

Or a post war re-paint. Not sure about any of the other nations but some of the Canadian troops stationed in Germany in late 1918 into 1919, and even later at home, painted regimental crests on their helmets that they would never have worn in combat.

[Kruger1933]

Now I was suggested to me by departments of White Russians. This would explain the brown/blu color and the skull, but I have no photos and I doubt this theory.

[peter monahan]

Sorry, I know nothing about the White Russians but, again, putting such a large and prominent marking on the helmet while in combat does not seem very sensible to me.

[Brian Calkins]

There seem to be no holes for a front badge. Are they not there at all or were they filled?

[Kruger1933]

I checked, the holes were filled.

[Brian Calkins]

Well, let's assume for now that the skull/iron cross pain is period. What is key is what the color of the helmet is. Try to compare it to web photos to the following WWI helmets: Italian, Russian, Austrian.

The paint color, if it is period will help tell the story.

[Kruger1933]

Many thanks for the help. This evening I will compare the colors and then I will tell you.

[Kruger1933]

I checked and the shade of brown is the one used by the Russians.
I found this photo on the web, terrible photo without details and doubts remain.

[Brian Calkins]

Ok. So let's try to piece together a logical history.

It is a French horizon blue painted helmet that has had the badge holes soldered closed. That tells me that it was meant for export. It also has not had its original lining replaced, so its use did not extend far beyond the WWI period.

We know that many of these export helmets were repainted during the war by the countries who received them. Also, there is no logical reason for someone to recently paint such a badge on this French made allied helmet, so let's go with it being a period badge.

While skulls are associated with some Imperial and later white Russian troops, the use of the black cross associated with Prussia would be out of place.

It seems more likely to me that this was used in Finland. In early 1918 a short civil war was fought between the whites and the reds in Finland. The right wing whites who were supported by Imperial Germany won. This helmet could be from that period.

The helmet itself could have been sold to Russia and captured by the Finns or maybe it was even a French POW helmet supplied to Finland by Germany.

This is all conjecture, but may be a good line of investigation.
Good luck!

[Kruger1933]

Many thanks for your theory and your historical information. You have been very kind.
I will research the war between the Russians and Finland, so maybe I will find more information.