A Grim Reminder from a German Battlefield Pickup M1916 Helmet
Here at Pony Express Firearms we handle a myriad of historic items, many of them in exquisite condition, but sometimes there are items which bring home the tragic human consequences of war. This German M1916 helmet is such an example.
The oral history given to us when we purchased the helmet out of a large collection is that it was recovered in the Ardennes Forest in the aftermath of a WWII battle. So, how did a WWI helmet get onto a WWII battlefield? It could be that this was a WWI helmet reissued during WWII as was common practice, or it could be that the oral history was wrong and that this was a WWI helmet recovered from a WWI battlefield. Either way, the key here is to buy the item, not the story attached to it, especially when it’s only given as oral history.
What is incontrovertible is that this helmet suffered several devastating hits in battle, including two rifle caliber hits and one large shrapnel hit that caused a gaping hole in the left side. Neither the rifle rounds, nor the shrapnel hit penetrated to the other side of the helmet. The liner is missing, and only a partial chin strap remains. Traces of original green paint remain on the outside, as well as some in scattered areas on the inside, with the balance turning to patina and rust. This helmet was not left on the battlefield for very long, as the rust is mostly surface rust, and the helmet does not show the long term exposure and brittleness that excavated helmets show.
When examining an item like this one can only ponder the fate of the soldier who wore it, especially as there is clear evidence of biological matter inside the helmet. In collecting firearms and militaria, it’s easy to focus only on the item, and forget the human cost of war, where soldiers bled, suffered, and died. Sometimes it takes examining a relic like this to bring war’s nightmare to the forefront.
We keep this helmet and several other KIA helmets on prominent display at Pony Express Firearms, not as macabre curiosities, but as grim reminders that behind the discussions about price, rarity, or condition, there is a human element to this entire field, and that the items we collect and deal in were meant to cause, and have caused suffering and death.
It’s always wise for those who collect and deal in militaria to remember that “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.”
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