Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good example of a rare genuine World War I M1915 French Army "Adrian" steel helmet, outfitted for Colonial Infantry & Navy personnel. This is one of the rarer types of Adrian helmets seen, much more so than the usual Infantry version.

The helmet has been repainted blue at some point, however under this it retains the original "dark horizon blue" paint on the shell, which can be seen where the paint has chipped. The overpainting is a bit lighter in color. The front of the helmet still has its original French Colonial Infatry & Navy Badge, which features an anchor under the standard R F on a "flaming bomb", for Republique Francaise. 

The liner size is around a 56cm (7), and is in very good condition, with supple leather and intact felt padding The top tie strap is intact, though the chin strap is a post war replacemene.t

Overall condition of the helmet is nice, and it would make an excellent addition to any French WWI collection, especially one missing this particular type of Adrian Helmet.

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.