WWI Adrian Helmet with White Stripe

[Edelweisse]

Hi Folks:  I recently picked this WWI French Adrian helmet up at a flea market.  The helmet is painted black with a white stripe around the base. with the “RF” insignia.  The helmet has a liner and has the original “blue horizon” color inside.  Who would wear this…Police or Fire?  I have seen one like this before so I had to buy it.  I would appreciate any assistance in identifying this.  Thank you

[Preppy Picker]

That little numbered tag is interesting as well. I would say pompiers. Very nice find.

[Edelweisse]

Thank you…you say possible fireman…another said gendarmerie traffic control.  I agree that the inventory tag is interesting too.  Thank you for comments 

[Edelweisse]

I meant to say..”Seeing this helmet was a first for me…never seen before..so I bought it!”

[toitoine66]

Hello,

 

the adrian with the white stripe are for the road traffic regulation. Civilian or military. your M15 adrian helmet have the Gendarmerie grenade and is black painted so  this is M15  reconditionned before or during ww2 for the Gendarmerie.

[Edelweisse]

Thank you….

[toitoine66]

This still a nice one. Witch color is the felt into thé liner ? 

[Edelweisse]

Thanks…I will have to pull it out tomorrow.  Cold here in the PNW

[Edelweisse]

Ok….now I need to ask since I am a rookie…does the color of felt in the liner determine the timeframe or makers’ country?  Sorry…I am a student wanting to learn (smile). Thanks 

“Gendarmerie grenade” .. thought that was the normal infantry soldiers’s helmet badge “plated” in bronze/brass.

 

Are Gendarmerie grenade badges bronze plated?

[toitoine66]

Yes the color could determinate the timeframe or if this is a 1st or a 2nd type. The red garance felt are for the earlier one then the blue horizon and finaly the brown. Brown could be a ww1 but the more often this is a 20's or 30's reconditioned liner. 

 

Then about the grenade, there is 2 colors for the Gendarmerie White ( Silver) witch is for the Départementale Gendarmerie and the Yellow (Gold) witch is for the Mobile Gendarmerie. But this tow distinction came after WW2,   The specific grenade for the Gendarmerie on the Adrian helmet appear in 1921 nevertheless  during WW1 some Gendarme painted there regular grenade in silver or white to  affirm there membership to the Cavalry corps (Silver = cavalry, Gold= infantry).

 

The Gendarmerie Adrian Helmets Grenades: Mle 21, Mle 30 and Mle 51

 

There is my Mle15 Adrian Helmet with a regular grenade painted:

There is my Post about this one: 

 

[Edelweisse]

Here is a picture of the liner and felt..

WOW...I am impressed....Thank you for explaining it to me...and I'm sure others didn't know.  I'm impressed by your displays.    Again...Thank you "Merci!"

[toitoine66]

Hello

So i m not very exprimented about the Adrian Interiors so I asked to somebody else and he told me, this is a 2nd Type mle 15 interior. So this is an original mle 15 repainted between the tow World Wars. 

 

In my view your helmet is very nice and not so common especialy with the Circulation painted bands.

BUT thoses white bands could also be a Defense Passive (Civilian Defense) reuse... witch is  less attractiv.  Apparently the circulation band appear at the end of WW2 during the liberation and was more often seen on the M1 helmets or M36 adrians (that information is for the regular army). I can't tell for the Gendarmerie I have to investigate as the Gendarmerie corps is poorly docummented, even in France.

 

A sweet link about the Gendarmerie during ww2: https://www.rgse.fr/2e-guerre-mondiale/

[Edelweisse]

Thank you very much