Photos of Americans wearing WWI French Helmets

[Croix de Guerre]

I hoping that some one might be able to post photos of any American soldiers or Marines that are wearing French WWI helmets. I'll put up one or two of mine, but what I am really hoping to find is pictures showing American wearing French helmets with the "Wreath and Shield" helmet device. I've heard of a photo showing Maj. Gen. Lejeune wearing one but I can't find it. The Marines trained with the French in late 1917 and I imagine that it was taken around this time. I've heard of photos showing black doughboys of the 15th NY National Guard (369th Harlem Hellfighters) wearing them as well, but I can only find images of the wearing French helmets but none with the fabled wreath and shield device. Any help would be very appreciated.

 

The men pictured below are identified as members of Co. M 372nd Infantry, 93rd Division - (former Ohio National Gaurd)

[Croix de Guerre]

I hoping that some one might be able to post photos of any American soldiers or Marines that are wearing French WWI helmets. I'll put up one or two of mine, but what I am really hoping to find is pictures showing American wearing French helmets with the "Wreath and Shield" helmet device. I've heard of a photo showing Maj. Gen. Lejeune wearing one but I can't find it. The Marines trained with the French in late 1917 and I imagine that it was taken around this time. I've heard of photos showing black doughboys of the 15th NY National Guard (369th Harlem Hellfighters) wearing them as well, but I can only find images of the wearing French helmets but none with the fabled wreath and shield device. Any help would be very appreciated.

[Croix de Guerre]

I hoping that some one might be able to post photos of any American soldiers or Marines that are wearing French WWI helmets. I'll put up one or two of mine, but what I am really hoping to find is pictures showing American wearing French helmets with the "Wreath and Shield" helmet device. I've heard of a photo showing Maj. Gen. Lejeune wearing one but I can't find it. The Marines trained with the French in late 1917 and I imagine that it was taken around this time. I've heard of photos showing black doughboys of the 15th NY National Guard (369th Harlem Hellfighters) wearing them as well, but I can only find images of the wearing French helmets but none with the fabled wreath and shield device. Any help would be very appreciated.

 

Close up - notice that the officer has painted a "U.S." where the normal helmet device would've been placed. Maybe this practise lead to the need for a true American helmet pin?

[Croix de Guerre]

A close-up of the "Wreath and Shield" French helmet device. This particular example is part of the Fred Kurth grouping. Kurth was a camion (truck) driver with American Field Service T.M.U. 526 before joining the A.E.F. and serving in HQ Company of the Reserve Mallet.

[Croix de Guerre]

Here is an example of one in my collection.

[Croix de Guerre]

Here is an example of one in my collection.

[Croix de Guerre]

Here is an example of one in my collection.

[aef1917]

In every picture of Americans wearing Adrians I've ever seen, it's either a regular French badge or nothing at all.

 

It's always been my understanding that the wreath and shield devices were only worn by ambulance drivers.

 

On the other hand, the research I've been doing into WWI helmets over the last year has taught me that my understandings are often full of it.

[aef1917]

That's an awesome helmet, by the way.

[jagjetta]

Croix de Guerre:

Those are POWERFULLY wonderful images! Just don't see quality AEF photos like that too often these days. I particularly like images of US troops with M2 gas masks, so appreciate the latter. On the other hand, 37mm gun photos ALWAYS catch my eye, so the first image really stopped me in my tracks.

 

Flipped through a couple of my albums this morning as I do not recall any distinct Adrian helmets on US soldiers. I did come across this image of Turner Callahan, American Field Service in Italy.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your great images!

 

John

[Croix de Guerre]

In every picture of Americans wearing Adrians I've ever seen, it's either a regular French badge or nothing at all.

 

It's always been my understanding that the wreath and shield devices were only worn by ambulance drivers.

 

On the other hand, the research I've been doing into WWI helmets over the last year has taught me that my understandings are often full of it.

 

Thanks for the compliment. All of the identified wreath helmets I know of are associated with American Field Service guys. Of those almost all are ID'd to the T.M.U. guys. Which makes sense as by the time these helmet devices started to show up, 99% of all the new AFS volunteers were being sent to T.M.U. units. I think Scott (Bugme) has one ID'd to an ambulance driver in the AFS, but he was a late arrival and one of the few that drove ambulances rather than trucks. Again, my guess is that they were made during the time that the US was trying to decide wether or not to go with the British Brodie style helmet or the French Adrian. Once the choice was made to adopt the Brodie, the issue of these wreath and shield helmet pins stopped. I do know however that years later during the early days of WWII, before Germany invaded France, a hand full of the new American Field Service ambulance men were issued WWII era French helmets and wore these devices. I don't know if they were found in some depot in France and applied over there, or if they were from a stock that the AFS had kept and decided to use in WWII. Either way, I have never seen a photo or ANY one actually wearing one wether it be WWI or WWII. Very curious,,,, :think:

[Croix de Guerre]

Croix de Guerre:

Those are POWERFULLY wonderful images! Just don't see quality AEF photos like that too often these days. I particularly like images of US troops with M2 gas masks, so appreciate the latter. On the other hand, 37mm gun photos ALWAYS catch my eye, so the first image really stopped me in my tracks.

 

Flipped through a couple of my albums this morning as I do not recall any distinct Adrian helmets on US soldiers. I did come across this image of Turner Callahan, American Field Service in Italy.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your great images!

 

John

 

 

Wow! Great image! Is this an original? I'm in the process of moving so all my books are packed away, so I can't look up Callahan. Do you know what section he was in in Italy? Was he an ambulance driver?

[jerseygary]

I just moved so all my books are still in storage, but the only photo I have seen of an AFS guy wearing the shield on the Adrian was a photo of Richard Hall standing in front of his bus. It is a full body shot and the helmet has the wreath on it. I believe it is in the 3 volume AFS history but I have seen it in other books as well. Now not being in front of me, there is reason think it may be added later to make the portrait look special - Hall was the first AFS man killed in action and this was used as a publicity took to recruit more drivers. Since Hall died in December of 1915, this would way pre-date the camion drivers and date the thing to at least the winter of '15.

 

That said, he is the only person I have seen wearing that device. From all the diaries and biographies I've read, most of those guys tried to take and adapt things from the units they were serving with as a tribute to the combat soldiers - guys who served near colonial units adapted Adrians with the colonial insignia, same with chasseurs troops where they had the distinctive hunting horn insignia and large blue wool beret, both of which the drivers eagerly adapted.

 

Now with that I can also suggest the opinion that maybe this device was made in late 1915 - only no one wanted to wear it. That photo of Hall wearing an Adrian with it on was taken at the very beginning of the wearing of helmets so his unit could have been issued it directly from AFS headquarters in Paris. Being a new item, maybe the men didn't have time to ditch their helmets that marked them out as non-combatants yet.

 

I have also read that American Black troops that were parcelled out to the French army were issued this helmet - I believe this is an often repeated mistake as I have never seen a photograph of these troops wearing anything other than a standard Adrian with the French Army infantry insignia on it. A popular uniform study book that uses modern models posing in actual WWI uniforms shows a reenactment of a US black soldier and he is wearing this AFS wreath helmet. I believe that was a mistake by the publisher or photographer and many of the erroneous things written about US troops wearing the wreath helmet stems from that.

 

There is a famous picture of US Marine Corps General Doyen in France where he is wearing an Adrian helmet - it has the chasseurs' hunting horn on it which makes perfect sense because the Marines were trained in France by chasseur units.

 

Nice topic, I've wondered about this insignia for years.

[jagjetta]

I am going to post images of two made-in-France images of an African-American mortar unit. These were sold last year by AGM...Unfortunatey, I was not the lucky buyer! I hope AGM's Jeff doesn't mind me sharing these to highlight this discussion.

 

John

 

[jagjetta]

details of first image:

 

[jagjetta]

second image

[jagjetta]

more details:

[jagjetta]

Wow! Great image! Is this an original? I'm in the process of moving so all my books are packed away, so I can't look up Callahan. Do you know what section he was in in Italy? Was he an ambulance driver?

 

 

Yes, it is an original image with period ink inscription on back. That is all I know about the fellow, though. Sorry! I have one other image taken in the same location of an AFS fellow (I don't think it is the same guy) wearing a visor cap and an M2 gas mask hanging at his side.

 

John

[LarryM3]

1918 photo of BG James G. Harbord, Chief of Transportation, AEF.

[jerseygary]

That morter unit photo is interesting, it looks like they are wearing the helmet badge for zouave and tirailleurs troops.

 

Hey Jagjetta - can we see the other AFS photo, too? The one of Callahan is a killer!

[jagjetta]

Hey Jagjetta - can we see the other AFS photo, too? The one of Callahan is a killer!

 

Sure...I don't want to hijack this thread though. Quick peak, then it's back to discussing Adrians worn by US Troops!

 

No identification on this image. It came with the Callahan image.

[jagjetta]

close-up:

[Croix de Guerre]

I just moved so all my books are still in storage, but the only photo I have seen of an AFS guy wearing the shield on the Adrian was a photo of Richard Hall standing in front of his bus. It is a full body shot and the helmet has the wreath on it. I believe it is in the 3 volume AFS history but I have seen it in other books as well. Now not being in front of me, there is reason think it may be added later to make the portrait look special - Hall was the first AFS man killed in action and this was used as a publicity took to recruit more drivers. Since Hall died in December of 1915, this would way pre-date the camion drivers and date the thing to at least the winter of '15.

 

That said, he is the only person I have seen wearing that device. From all the diaries and biographies I've read, most of those guys tried to take and adapt things from the units they were serving with as a tribute to the combat soldiers - guys who served near colonial units adapted Adrians with the colonial insignia, same with chasseurs troops where they had the distinctive hunting horn insignia and large blue wool beret, both of which the drivers eagerly adapted.

 

Now with that I can also suggest the opinion that maybe this device was made in late 1915 - only no one wanted to wear it. That photo of Hall wearing an Adrian with it on was taken at the very beginning of the wearing of helmets so his unit could have been issued it directly from AFS headquarters in Paris. Being a new item, maybe the men didn't have time to ditch their helmets that marked them out as non-combatants yet.

 

I have also read that American Black troops that were parcelled out to the French army were issued this helmet - I believe this is an often repeated mistake as I have never seen a photograph of these troops wearing anything other than a standard Adrian with the French Army infantry insignia on it. A popular uniform study book that uses modern models posing in actual WWI uniforms shows a reenactment of a US black soldier and he is wearing this AFS wreath helmet. I believe that was a mistake by the publisher or photographer and many of the erroneous things written about US troops wearing the wreath helmet stems from that.

 

There is a famous picture of US Marine Corps General Doyen in France where he is wearing an Adrian helmet - it has the chasseurs' hunting horn on it which makes perfect sense because the Marines were trained in France by chasseur units.

 

Nice topic, I've wondered about this insignia for years.

 

 

Hi Gary, Hate to disagree with you but the insignia you are talking about that Hall is wearing is actually French medical. Look at is closer. I'll look around for a better picture of Hall but I am 100% sure he is not wearing the wreath and shield helmet device.

http://www.lesfrancaisaverdun-1916.fr/

[Croix de Guerre]

,,,

[jerseygary]

Since I don't have my library yet, I'll concede to you Croix, you know your AFS inside and out. Now I'm dying to check my books when they get here and see for myself!

 

But I have to disagree on the morter unit helmets, I believe they are the crescent badge used by the French zouave and tirailleurs troops. If only I had my books I'd post a photo...