World War 1 French Colonial Soldiers Helmet

myminifactory

This is one of many helmets discovered from a grandfather's basement through Scan The World. Copies of such helmet can be found in other war museums. The Adrian helmet was issued to the French Army during World War I and was the first standard helmet of the French military, designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare. It protected against head wounds caused by falling shrapnel generated by indirect fire, a frequent cause of battlefield casualties at that time. Introduced in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet and served as the basic helmet for many armies well into the 1930s. Initially issued to infantry soldiers, modified versions were also given to cavalry and tank crews. A subsequent version, the M26, was used during World War II. There is a slight difference in design between the M15 Adrian Helmet with an anchor emblem on the front of the helmet and other variations without it. Since soldiers in trenches were vulnerable to shrapnel exploding above their heads, a deflector crest was added along the helmet's axis. Branch insignia such as a grenade for line infantry and cavalry, a bugle horn for chasseurs, crossed cannon for artillery, an anchor for colonial troops, or a crescent for North African units was attached to the front of the helmet. This object is part of Scan The World, a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory that aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures and artworks from across the globe.