BELGIUM/AMERICAN WWI RENEE ELIZABETH HELMET.

One of the most difficult of all the WWI experimental helmets to obtain. As WWI progressed many countries experimented in helmets with protective visors or face masks, the Belgium infantry helmet known as the Renee Elizabeth was developed from the French Dunand and then developed by John Macintosh and produced by the British Company Sankey of Wolverhampton. It is estimated that 70,000 were produced, however the amount of helmets that has turned up on the collectors market over the last 50 years is tiny, we have only ever had two in the past 52 years of trading. Virtually all of those helmets were issued to the Belgium Army with a black, white and red cockade being the colours of Belgium. A tiny few were given to the American forces in 1917 on their arrival in the European theatre of war for evaluation and for them to compare with their own number 8 visored experimental helmets. This example with its original English oilskin and string fretwork liner, which is all complete. The paint finish is excellent with its correct visor. There are two stress cracks to the bowl just behind the front visor on the main body. The helmet is also with its very rare brown leather chinstrap, the chinstrap is rather frail but is still all connected and care is to be taken with the handling of the chinstrap. The finish is excellent to the exterior bowl. This recently became available for sale from the auction of the collection of the very well known helmet collector from California, David Powers.

Code: 96532