Original Imperial German WWI M1916 Shrapnel-Damaged Stahlhelm Helmet Sent Home by U.S. Soldier with Address on Detached Liner Pads - Stamped BF 64

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an excellent example of a World War One bring back trophy helmet which was sent home as a souvenir by a soldier of the American Expeditionary Force. The helmet has very heavy shrapnel damage and is missing the chinstrap. All three liner pads have disconnected from the band but they are still retained, and the send-home information is written on all three pads. The pads are inscribed:

George W. Skinner
Route B
Richmond, Virginia
U.S.A.

George W. Skinner had two sons who served overseas, Elsie and Harold. Harold served with the 119th Field Artillery, 32nd Division, and Elsie served with the 47th Aero Squadron, so either of them could have sent this helmet home to their father.

The helmet shell still has both the dome headed chinstrap retaining rivets, which hold the interior pickelhaube style chin strap lugs in place. It also retains both of the extended ventilation side lugs, which are the correct stepped version for size 64 shells. This would ensure proper installation of a Stirnpanzer brow plate regardless of shell size.

The shell is stamped B.F.64. indicating that F.C. Bellinger of Fulda manufactured it. This company made shells in sizes 62 and 64 for the war effort. Size 64 is a nice medium large size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. We checked, and due to oxidation, there is no rolling mill marking on the shell that we can see.

Two of the three liner split pins are retained and hold in the M17 liner band. There is heavy shrapnel damage to the helmet which is shown on the liner band as well, but much of this damage was likely done as “target practice” due to the damage from multiple sides.

A really great shrapnel-hit sent-home helmet. Comes ready for further research and display.