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One of the iconic images of the Great War is the steel hat worn by British, Commonwealth and American forces between 1916 and 1918. The helmet was initially designed and patented in 1915 by Briton John Brodie in 1915. The helmet has many names which include Brodie Helmet, Steel Mark I and M1917 Helmet. The helmet has also been referred to as Tommy helmet, doughboy helmet, shrapnel helmet and most famously Tin Hat.
At the outbreak of war in 1914, no nation offered protective steel helmets to troops. Initially troops went into battle wearing their individual forage caps.
In the ensuing slaughter, the number of head wounds outnumbered other wounds. The French army subsequently introduced the Adrian helmet in 1915. This forward idea was adopted by other nations.
In 1915, the War office saw the need for steel helmets, following in the example of the French. The British Army evaluated the French design and believed it to be not strong enough. Following this, in 1915, John L. Brodie offered a unique design; a helmet that was pressed from a single sheet of steel which gave it added strength.
Brodie's design was very similar to the medieval kettle helmet. The design was shallow with a wide brim. The helmet was initially designed to protect the wearers head and shoulders. Despite the concept to protect the head and shoulders, the helmet offered less protection to the neck and face.
Type A was composed of mild steel and was only produced for a few weeks before the type B was introduced in late 1915. The design change was the idea of Sir Robert Hatfield, who argued that harder steel with 12% manganese content was better. This concept became known as "Hatfield's steel" The modified helmet was all but impervious to shrapnel from above. The design also had a more domed crown; this design became the well-known image in later years.
In early 1916 the first delivery of the new helmet was delivered to the British Army. Despite the forward thinking, there weren't enough helmets to equip everyman. They were ultimately kept and stored as 'trench stores' which would be used by units moving into the Front line. The new helmet was properly issued during the summer of 1916.
Despite the introduction of the helmet, there was some opposition. General Plummer thought the helmet was too shallow, too reflective and its rim was too sharp.
The criticisms were corrected and the Mark I model helmet of 1916 had a separate rim, two piece liner and a sawdust/sand finish.
Helmets were often painted with unit insignia, and collectors often call them 'parade helmets'
The tin hat first saw action in 1916 at the battle of St Eloi.
The United States Government purchased over half a million helmets from the British Government in 1917, and from January 1918, the U.S. Army began to use helmets manufactured in the USA.
The steel helmet was popularly referred to as the 'Tin Hat' by the ordinary troops, whereas the officers christened the helmet 'battle bowler'
Overall by November 1918, over 7 million steel helmets had been produced.
Hi, I'm Simon, a History graduate. I have had a passion for history since I was a child. One of my most passionate interests is "World One War". I have created an online magazine to this end. It covers all aspects of the bloodiest conflict known to man. The characters, the campaigns, the weapons, re-enactment groups and much, much more.
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