Please be sure to monitor our auctions for these helmets as well as many other outstanding WWI and WWII items. We have begun listing them and will continue to do so as fast as possible.
Brooks with a date of 1918 - 1919 to the rim. The helmet also bears the inscription "France - Germany" with FOUR Hand Painted Insignia. To the Front is the Ambulance Service Rooster Insignia, to the Rear is the Round 3rd Army "A" Insignia and to each side is a LARGE Red Cross in a circular Field of White.
Each insignia is Hand Painted and in VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT CONDITION. Overall the helmet is in VERY GOOD CONDITION and while there is NO Chinstrap, it does maintain its Original Liner in Good Condition, Remaining Firmly Attached to the interior of the Helmet. This helmet is GUARANTEED to be 100% ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC and UNALTERED. It remains in an Excellent State of Preservation and Displays BEAUTIFULLY.It has NOT Been Shellacked or Lacquered. This is the FIRST Time this helmet has ever been offered for sale on the open collectors market. It is BEYOND Museum Quality and Truly a piece for the most Advanced Collector.
The shell of the helmet shows only minor signs of age, wear and use with the exterior crown having one very small ding, but NO Dents, Rust or Corrosion. The ding is quite hard to see and only visible under close examination.The helmet maintains approximately 60 to 70% of its original finish and sawdust texture and has aged to a very nice dark olive drab patina. The Ambulance Service Insignia consists of a White Rooster in a Round Red Field and is in EXCELLENT Condition.
It shows only minor signs of age and wear with only minor fading. The insignia maintains approximately 80% of its original paint and remains VERY Bold, Bright, Visible and Easy to See. To the Rear of the helmet is the Third Army Insignia that Consists of a Large White "A" in a Circular Field of Royal Blue, with a thin circle of Red, Royal Blue again and a thin circle of Black to the edge. This Insignia is also in EXCELLENT Condition and in the countless painted 3rd Army Insignias we have see over the years, this one may very well be the BEST we have ever seen. It shows only very minor signs of age and wear and maintains approximately 85 to 90% of its original paint.
It looks better in person than in the photos. ALL Colors Remains Bold, Bright, Highly Visible and Easy to See. To the Wearer's Left the helmet bears a LARGE Red Cross in a circular field of white that is in Very Good Condition with minor signs of age and wear. The red cross insignia maintains approximately 75% of its original paint and both the red and white remain Bold, Highly Visible and Easy to See. The white has darkened a bit with age and the red shows minor fading, but it is less than typical of what we normally see.To the wearer's Right the helmet also bears a Large Red Cross is a Circular Field of White. This red cross insignia shows a bit more age and wear than the other insignias. It maintains approximately 70% of its original paint with a bit more darkening to the white and a few very small sections of paint loss. The Insignia Maintains Very Good Color with both the Red and White Areas Remaining VERY Bold and Very Visible. ALL Insignia are HAND PAINTED and are true pieces of WWI Soldier Art!
They are outstanding in their appearance and extremely impressive to behold. The soldier who painted them took his time and did a very good job, especially on the Ambulance Service and 3rd Army Insignias.
In our honest opinion, all insignias look much better in person than in the photos. You get a much better sense of how truly impressive the helmet is when you see it and can actually hold it. The neatly painted inscription to the exterior rim of the helmet identifies it to C. BROOKS" and gives the helmet a bit of a "War Diary appearance.
Brooks France Germany" to the Front and "1918 1919 to the rear. All letters of the inscription remain in Very Good Condition but overall the paint shows light age darkening and minor wear. The paint has darkened in places and the darkened areas are visible in the lettering as you can see in the photos. Overall, ALL of the inscription's letters and numbers remain VERY Bold and Highly Visible as well as Easy to See and Read. The interior of the helmet shows moderate signs of age, wear and use. There is scattered discoloration and darkening to the finish with some small spots of very light surface rust.The surface rust is very dark and does not appear to be active. It is very minor and in no way effects the integrity of display of the helmet. The Heat Lot Number is Visible to the Underside of the Rim and Reads ZF 41. The LINER remains IN THE HELMET and shows considerable signs of age, wear and use as well as signs of being exposed to heat.
Most likely from long term storage in an attic. The Oil Cloth Portion is Dry but does remain flexible enough to be folded down to examine the rear portion. There is no maker's stamp but the Large, Oval US Inspector's Stamp is Visible. There is NO readily apparent damage to the oil cloth with no visible rips, cracks or tears.
The cotton adjuster string and webbing remain in place but there is visible damage to the adjuster webbing. The felt crown pad remains firmly to the interior crown of the helmet and shows only minor signs of age and wear with some light mothing. There is NO Chinstrap but a portion of the leather remains in the crown and is visible in the photos. It is cracked and dry but no rot or decay is apparent.
The leather rim of the liner shows age and wear and is also dry but solid with no visible red rot or decay. The Liner is FIRMLY attached to the helmet and NOT loose or falling out. If handled properly and cared for the liner may remain in the helmet for some time to come. I have to be honest and tell you all that this is a helmet that I have PRIZED since I first saw it. It is one of the MOST IMPRESSIVE and Eye Catching WWI Helmets that We have Ever Seen!
I have had every intention since day one of holding it in my own personal collection for many, many years. I have displayed it proudly, handled it very carefully and shown it to some of the most advanced collectors and museum professionals that I know. All have been impressed, some in awe and some even a little jealous upon seeing this amazing piece.
In our opinion it is a "Jewel" and a Center Piece for Any Collection. It is BEYOND Museum Quality and Truly a Piece for the Most Discerning, Meticulous and Advanced Collector. It is shocking in its authenticity and overwhelming in its beauty when displayed. It does us no good to "hoard" artifacts and hold all of the "best of the best" pieces in the dark depths of our dusty storage spaces.
We must let these items be enjoyed by others and see the light of day. This may very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us as collectors and dealers to own such a rare and unique WWI Helmet. A one of a kind, true piece of history. We Guarantee that everything we state here is 100% Correct and Accurate to the best of our ability.
We are VERY Confident that you will Love this Helmet when you see it and be Extremely Proud to Add it to your Collection! Please ask any questions that you may have and THANK YOU for LOOKING!!! We will provide you with inside information regarding our items on a regular basis. If you are a serious collector, you will not want to miss out. We will be offering many more rare and museum quality groupings, collections and individual pieces in the near future.
So, have your "Battle Plan" ready, because at any time we may list exactly what you are looking for!! TRENCH ART SHELL / VASE NOT INCLUDED. The item "WWI US AMBUALANCE SERVICE, THIRD ARMY & DUAL RED CROSS INSIGNIA PAINTED HELMET" is in sale since Thursday, July 30, 2015. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW I (1914-18)\Original Period Items\United States\Hats & Helmets".
The seller is "geauxusa" and is located in Gulf Breeze, Florida. This item can be shipped worldwide.