1060

AMERICAN WORLD WAR I HELMET WITH U.S. 3RD INFANTRY

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:30.00 USD Estimated At:75.00 - 100.00 USD
AMERICAN WORLD WAR I HELMET WITH U.S. 3RD INFANTRY
AMERICAN WORLD WAR I HELMET WITH U.S. 3RD INFANTRY INSIGNIA
M1917 helmet which retains most of its original finish of crushed cork, as well as the entirety of the chin strap, although this has broken in two places. The leather and cloth liner is missing, but for a fragment at the retaining screw in the crown. The helmet is stamped "ZE5" on the inside of the rear brim. It also bears the insignia of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, alternating diagonal blue and white or yellow stripes within a square, painted on the front and the rear. This unit earned the nickname "The Rock of the Marne" for bearing the brunt of the last German offensive of the war, at the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918. At the end of the war, many soldiers painted their unit insignia on their helmets to wear during the numerous victory parades held across the country. On this example, the front insignia bears three stripes of heavily soiled white paint over a faded blue background. The rear insignia has faded extensively, but is still visible. The interior of the dome bears a large patch of rust, else good.