Original Irish Free State M1927 Vickers Stahlhelm with Liner & One Ventilation Lug - Rare

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very worn example of a helmet we have never offered before. The Vickers helmet—in spite of its British manufacture, its ‘German’ style rendered it the butt of much anti-Irish British propaganda. During the 1920s the newly formed Irish Defence Forces began looking for a steel helmet. At first the French Adrian model, named after its inventor, August-Louis Adrian, was tested on a limited scale but was found to be unsatisfactory. Eventually it was decided to choose the German helmet used in the First World War, and in November 1926 the Irish government approached the German consulate requesting a modern sample. The German Foreign Office’s reply, dated 30 December 1926, advised that the export of steel helmets was prohibited under the terms laid down by the Versailles Treaty, and for that reason they were unable to comply. 

So the Irish Free State had to look elsewhere: an order for 5,000 helmets was placed with Vickers & Co. Ltd, London, and the design was to be based on the German pattern worn during the Great War. The German consulate in Dublin reported to the Foreign Office in Berlin on 16 August 1927 to the effect that Vickers & Co. had been asked to deliver the helmets ‘to be tested for their expediency during the autumn manoeuvres next year’.

This example is in good order but is missing one of the two ventilation lugs. The helmet is correctly painted white with heavy chipping and paint loss. The original three-pad leather liner is intact, but one side is sagging heavily. It is held in by all three original liner pins. The rear skirt retains stamped markings:

V. LTD. H2185
H495 ‘27

This denotes manufacture by Vickers in 1927. The front of the helmet still retains the two small posts for attachment of the Irish Free State badge, which is missing on this example.

A gorgeous example, the first M27 helmet we’ve ever offered. Ready for further research and display.