WWI. Italian helm

[hunmilitaria]

Hi,

I need some opinion about this WWI. Italian helm.

[hunmilitaria]

2

[hunmilitaria]

3

[MajorBonacelli]

While this helmet may be the WWI-type, I am pretty certain it was repainted for use in WWII, as it would of been more green for the First World War. The "206" to the front indicates the 206 Italian Coastal Division, which was located near Syracuse during Operation Husky (Allied Invasion of Sicily).

[tankredi]

Italian helmet, correct.
But not ww1 m16 repainted.
This is an m16-20 made in the 1920ies to early 3oies.

[ettore]

absolutely correct but much more 20ies than 30ies couse of chinstrap

[hunmilitaria]

Hi,

Thanks all opinion!

About the paint is grey/blue. Any opinion about the value?

[MajorBonacelli]

Hi,

Thanks all opinion!

About the paint is grey/blue. Any opinion about the value?

No idea on the value unfortunately. However, if you ever want to sell it, please contact me first.

[PAOLORUBENS]

While this helmet may be the WWI-type, I am pretty certain it was repainted for use in WWII, as it would of been more green for the First World War. The "206" to the front indicates the 206 Italian Coastal Division, which was located near Syracuse during Operation Husky (Allied Invasion of Sicily).

I might be wrong , but to be Coastal Division should be an Infantry insignia with a 206 in the center ...

[MajorBonacelli]

I might be wrong , but to be Coastal Division should be an Infantry insignia with a 206 in the center ...

It could be the lighting in this image, but as you can see below in a photo of 206th Coastal Division POW's shortly after their capture by the Brits, there are no clear insignias on their Adrian helmets. Like I said, I could be the lighting in which the photo was taken, but I do not think they had an Infantry insignia on their helmets.

[Semovente]

Interesting in the pic ...it looks like the guy on the far right of the group is wearing a WW1 Adrian helmet ?...cheers Semovente..

[PAOLORUBENS]

It could be the lighting in this image, but as you can see below in a photo of 206th Coastal Division POW's shortly after their capture by the Brits, there are no clear insignias on their Adrian helmets. Like I said, I could be the lighting in which the photo was taken, but I do not think they had an Infantry insignia on their helmets.

interesting topic and interesting pic , few things to say : I agree there are no insignia on those helmets and looking at uniform's collar those POW are 206^ ... if probably so why the Adrian " 206^ pencils insignia " we are talking about in this thread should be 206^ Coastal ?

I will post an Adrian 121^ Coastal Inf which was stationed a bit northern from the area where 206^ was placed .

Plus there's another fact : near Siracusa , Pachino they found Mod 31 camo sand helmet ... are we sure POWs in picture are wearing an Adrian instead of a Mod 31 ? Soldier wore brand new Sahariane uniform sand color in 1943 .

Now back to the helmet posted in this thread , looking at picture #3 you can see clearly a part of a crown ... the color looks WWI , there are no rivets to fix the crest , no holes / rivets in the front to add metal insignia due to 1923 regulation ... those considerations to me sound like this Adrian was never reissued , maybe it just got a new post war lining after WWI without a passage in a military arsenal .

What are wearing POWs in low right corner ? light covers ( note the uniform are sand color sahariane ) , camo Adrian , camo Mod 31 ?

my 2 cents ...

[MajorBonacelli]

interesting topic and interesting pic , few things to say : I agree there are no insignia on those helmets and looking at uniform's collar those POW are 206^ ... if probably so why the Adrian " 206^ pencils insignia " we are talking about in this thread should be 206^ Coastal ?

I will post an Adrian 121^ Coastal Inf which was stationed a bit northern from the area where 206^ was placed .

Plus there's another fact : near Siracusa , Pachino they found Mod 31 camo sand helmet ... are we sure POWs in picture are wearing an Adrian instead of a Mod 31 ? Soldier wore brand new Sahariane uniform sand color in 1943 .

Now back to the helmet posted in this thread , looking at picture #3 you can see clearly a part of a crown ... the color looks WWI , there are no rivets to fix the crest , no holes / rivets in the front to add metal insignia due to 1923 regulation ... those considerations to me sound like this Adrian was never reissued , maybe it just got a new post war lining after WWI without a passage in a military arsenal .

What are wearing POWs in low right corner ? light covers ( note the uniform are sand color sahariane ) , camo Adrian , camo Mod 31 ?

my 2 cents ...

The helmet itself could be a M31. However, generally speaking, I refer to this helmet type as an Adrian.

Now your point that this could be a Post-WWI helmet that was never reissued. That brings up the question of why someone would put "206^" on the front of the helmet? It looks period and to my knowledge the only division with 206 was in fact the 206^ Coastal Division (correct me if I am wrong).

We must also consider that these Coastal Divisions were issued with all kinds of equipment, from modern and antiquated Italian to French etc. Case and point is the M37 uniform in the pic corrected to current army standards.

My personal opinion is that the helmet was one such item that was rushed to these Coastal Divisions with the 206 and Crown added by "pencil stenciling." I could, however, be completely wrong. If only this piece could talk it would make it much simpler...

[Paolo Marzetti]

As previously correctly said by someone, it is an M.16 helmet reissued
probably at the end of the 30's and presumably used during WWII.PaoloM

[Semovente]

As previously correctly said by someone, it is an M.16 helmet reissued
probably at the end of the 30's and presumably used during WWII.PaoloM

Yes ...and as the pic Paolorubens posted shows..chap on the far right is wearin a re issued WW1 Adrian ..you can see the band runnin round the helmet where the peak joins helmet body !..something found on all WW1 Adrian helmets...but not later models ...Semovente