Original Item: Only One Available. This is a nice example of a genuine World War I M1915 French Army "Adrian" steel helmet with a dark brown color and a “crescent moon” badge for the rare Zouave & North African troops. On top of that, the helmet features a rare post-war Veteran’s plate for the 1914-1918 War.

The front of the helmet still has its original French "Crescent Moon" badge, indicating use by Zouave and Tirailleurs units, raised from the local populations in the North African French Colonies. The badge has the standard R F on the armor, for Republique Francaise. The dark paint is still almost fully retained on the helmet, with some chipping that reveals the original horizon blue paint underneath. The undersize of the helmet is also painted this color, but under the liner, the original blue paint can still be seen. The helmet has a full original late-war liner, with 6 leather tongues protruding from a leather sweatband. The chinstrap on this example is unfortunately missing.

The 1914-1918 Veteran’s plate has been inserted directly onto the visor of the helmet, and the prongs are visible on the underside in three spots as shown, with oxidation around the holes confirming that it has been on this helmet for a very long time. The plate reads SOLDAT DE LA GRANDE GUERRE 1914 - 1918. There is heavy wear on the plate concurrent with the rest of the helmet, with some spots where the original gilt finish peeks out.

This is a phenomenal example of a very rare WWI M1915 Adrian helmet. This is one of the rarest helmet badges to find on a First World War helmet, and one that we have only offered a handful of times before. This helmet comes ready for further research and display!

The M15 Adrian helmet (French: Casque Adrian) was a combat helmet issued to the French Army during World War I. It was the first standard helmet of the French Army and was designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare, and head wounds from the falling shrapnel generated by the new technique of indirect fire became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties. Introduced in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet and it served as the basic helmet of many armies well into the 1930s. Initially issued to infantry soldiers, in modified form they were also issued to cavalry and tank crews. A subsequent version, the M26, was used during World War II.