Object Record
Images
Additional Images [8]
Metadata
Object ID # |
1972.003.003 |
Object Name |
Helmet |
Title |
Steel Helmet |
Lexicon category |
5: T&E For Science & Technology |
Year Range from |
1916 |
Year Range to |
1918 |
Made |
Unknown |
Place of Origin |
Unknown |
Description |
World War I Canadian steel helmet. It has a green khaki-coloured finish on the metal. Underneath, there is still a chinstrap, which has brown khaki-coloured cloth. The helmet rim has a protective edging on it. |
Provenance |
Original provenance and issuee unknown. This item dates from the First World War (1914-1918). It would have been worn by a Canadian soldier. Obtained/owned by Oscar Broadhead, of Owen Sound, Grey County at an unknown time. Broadhead had been a member of the 147th Grey (Overseas) Battalion that was raised in Owen Sound, Ontario in 1915. In 1960, he served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the 147th Grey Battalion Association in Owen Sound. |
Collection |
Military, 20th-c Collection |
Material |
Metal/Steel/Finish/Fabric |
Found |
Owen Sound, Grey County |
People |
Broadhead, Oscar |
Subjects |
World War I (First World War/The Great War) Soldiers Fighting War Helmets Headgear Military life Military personnel Military uniforms |
Search Terms |
147th Battalion Association 147th Grey Battalion |
Function |
Protective headgear for an infantry soldier. At the beginning of World War I, the military headgear was "soft", e.g. caps. Trench warfare needed more protection for the infantry soldiers, as explosions caused a lot of shrapnel wounds and casualties. The first steel helmets did not have a protective edge on them, and were somewhat of a hazard in themselves, as another soldier near the man wearing one could get hurt on the sharp edge. The Canadian soldiers would receive their helmets as they got moved into a fighting area. |