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Pattern 1915 Enlisted Kurassier "Lobster Tail" Helmet

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#1

A Prussian Wartime Pattern 1915 Enlisted Kurassier "lobster tail" helmet. Made of subdued polished steel with “pewter” rivets, visor, trim, spike, base and front plate. The chinstrap is of black leather with matching grey buckles secured to M-94 posts. The spike top is removable.The interior is painted green under the front visor and black in the crown and tail.

 

 

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#2

A very nice lobster tail in really excellent condition. A hard to find spike in any decent condition. Thanks for showing it.

 

Any unit markings?

  • Author
#3

Hi Sarge,

Thanks, I was told that this was a war bond give away when I bought it in the early 70's. They found piles of helmets in warehouses. Here is a picture from Col. Robert H. Rankis's book. Sorry to say there are no unit markings.

Dick

#4

Hi Sarge,

Thanks, I was told that this was a war bond give away when I bought it in the early 70's. They found piles of helmets in warehouses. Here is a picture from Col. Robert H. Rankis's book. Sorry to say there are no unit markings.

Dick

 

That is very interesting. My Dad was in the New York National Guard in 1940. He said there was a big storeroom in the armory filled with piles of WWI German equiment, including a huge pile of helmets. Then one day he found the room completely empty. He always wondered what happened to the stuff. Used for war bond giveaways would be a cool answer. Maybe you just solved a 78 year old mystery for me. Thanks!

Mikie

#5

By it's overall condition, it seems it is an unissued item, not too much call for OR Cavalry head gear after 1916.

#6

Outside of being stylish, these things were useless for protection and announced that a head was about to appear above the trenches since the spike gave away your stealth 3 inches early, but, they are very cool looking pieces of history and the beginning of ballistic helmets used today. This one is in excellent condition.

  • Author
#7

Here is the picture. The bond drives where they gave away spiked helmets were for WW1.

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#8

Fantastic photograph. I think I see your helmet on the front row. ;)

#9

Great helmet and a super picture !

 

Tony

#10

Here is the picture. The bond drives where they gave away spiked helmets were for WW1.

Maybe a whole load of them made it to Hollywood, one does see real Pickelhauben in All Quiet on the Western Front., including Artillerie ones, that brief scene when the Hammels arrived at the railhead near the front, Feld Artilleie teams roars past our group remember, straps and bridles and chains jingling with their pieces bouncing behind them, these guys you will spy are wearing the Artillerie kugel pickelhaube.

#11

mercer-cast-quiet-western-front.jpg

#12

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  • 3 weeks later...
#13

Great pictures of some very cool helmets.

#14

I really love those pictures taken on the set of the original All Quiet On The Western Front. That has always been my favorite war movie.

 

Steve

#15

I recall reading that when they were starting to film the original "All Quiet on the Western Front" that someone in casting got the idea to advertise in the LA newspaper looking for WWI German war veterans to help with the film. While they expected to get a few respondents, they actually had so many German veterans that they could equip and entire battalion of German soldiers. I would assume that as the German veterans were being handed uniforms etc., that they would have moved uniform pieces, pickelhauben and other equipment to make sure that they were all generally correct. The German contingent was so large that the soldiers were all drilled by German NCOs and they really looked the part that they were playing.

 

Great images!

 

Allan

  • Author
#16

A pyramid of captured German helmets on display in New York 1918

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  • 1 month later...
#17

A really great looking helmet, congratulations!

 

Best Regards,

 

Alan

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