Name/Title
1917-1918 CEF 2nd Division painted Brodie helmetEntry/Object ID
2019.19.21Description
1917-1918 CEF 2nd Division painted Brodie helmet. A basin-shaped Brodie helmet with a rim crimped on. A factory-painted khaki green finish with sand under the paint. The insignia is the center, painted white. It is embroidered "CII" (Canadian 2nd). Under the helmet are a black oil skin liner and horsehair crown, tan hair. The chinstrap is attached to the helmet by chinstrap mounts, which are on both sides of the helmet.Context
Canadian, American, and British soldiers wore the Brodie helmet. Introduced in 1915 by the creator John Leopold Brodie, the Brodie helmet protected soldiers from bullets, shrapnel, and shell fragments. Brodie designed the helmet from the medieval "iron hat" or chapel de fer. It was easy to manufacture and produce. Arriving in France by September 1915, it was quickly circulated to Allied troops at the front. Weighing around 2 pounds, it was weighty and intolerable, but it saved many lives. By the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, every British soldier wore one. While its design changed throughout the war, it was associated with the British Tommies.
