Original U.S. WWI M1917 37th Division Doughboy Helmet with Liner & Verdun Etched into Finish - Ohio National Guard “Buckeye” Division

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a U.S. M1917 "Doughboy" helmet with an original liner, but missing the chinstrap. It also features a great original period painted 37th Division insignia, which was made up of the Ohio National Guard. The other side of the helmet has been etched with VERDUN directly onto the finish, a great touch! Though the 37th did not fight in Verdun proper, they fought in the Avocourt Defensive Sector, from which they were plainly able to see the Battlefield of Verdun to the Southeast. 

The shell is maker-marked with a stamping on the underside of the rim that reads ZA 60. The solid rivets and heat lot number indicate that this helmet shell was produced in the United States. The paint is in very good condition both inside and outside the helmet. The liner is also in quite nice shape, with a very good oil cloth liner, and intact felt top pad. The chinstrap is entirely absent. 

The best feature of this helmet is definitely the original 37th Division - Buckeye Division emblem in the center of the front of the helmet. The design is a classic red and white "Buckeye".

A great example of an authentic WWI "Doughboy" helmet from the 37th Infantry Division, ready to display!

History of the 37th Division:

The 37th Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. It was a National Guard division from Ohio, nicknamed the "Buckeye Division". Today, its lineage is continued through the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, with battalions from Ohio, Michigan, and South Carolina.

It was initially activated as the 16th Division, a National Guard formation from Ohio and West Virginia in 1913. It was federally activated in August 1917 as a National Guard Division from Ohio. It was sent overseas in June 1918 and fought at the Meuse-Argonne and at Ypres-Lys offensives.

History of the M1917 Helmet

The M1917 was the US Army's first modern combat helmet, used from 1917 and during the 1920s, before being replaced by the M1917A1. The M1917A1 helmet was an updated version of the M1917 and initially used refurbished WW1 shells.

The M1917 is a near identical version of the British Mk.I steel helmet, and it is important to note that when the US joined the Great War in 1917 they were initially issued with a supply of around 400,000 British made Mk.Is, before production began state side. The M1917 differed slightly in its lining detail, and exhibited US manufacture markings.

M1917 helmet liners typically show a paper label at the crown and the dome rivet head. The liner is set up as on the British versions, with an oilcloth band and net configuration, attached to a leather strap, riveted to the shell. The chinstrap is leather with steel buckle.