Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Share #1 Posted January 17, 2020 Here's a WW1 German M16 Helmet I acquired a few years ago via a lead at the Des Moines Gun Show. It has the mail home label indicating it was sent home by Brigadier General H.A. Allen, commander of the 56th Infantry Brigade. He sent it to a Mrs Ivan Elwood, in Red Oak, Iowa. What's interesting is that the mail home label shows "This Helmet Is Shipped Home With Permission Of:" and then "Brig. Gen. H.A. Allen". The label also shows: "OK, H.A. Allen, Brig. Gen., U.S. Army. I was very fortunate to acquire this helmet from someone who bought it many years ago in Red Oak, IA. Best Regards, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #2 Posted January 17, 2020 More pics of helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted January 17, 2020 another pic of helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhcoleterracina Posted January 17, 2020 Share #4 Posted January 17, 2020 Great helmet, most times the mailing label was removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #5 Posted January 17, 2020 another image of camo pattern on helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted January 17, 2020 additional photo of camo pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #7 Posted January 17, 2020 photo 6 of helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #8 Posted January 17, 2020 photo 7 of Brig. Gen. H.A. Allen ship home helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #9 Posted January 17, 2020 Last photo of helmet. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted January 17, 2020 I have seen and photographed 3-other helmets that were mailed home by Brigadier General H.A. Allen, besides this one example that I own. 1-Helmet is a cool "splotch" pattern camo with mail home label to a different person in Iowa. 2nd Helmet is a plain M16 or M17 with ship home label to someone else in Iowa. 3rd Helmet is another camo pattern helmet with mail home label to another person in Iowa. These other 3-helmets reside in a museum with no chance of them being deaccessioned. Here's a photo of the splotch pattern camo he mailed home to another person in Iowa. Best Regards, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navybean Posted January 17, 2020 Share #11 Posted January 17, 2020 Cool helmet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon54 Posted January 18, 2020 Share #12 Posted January 18, 2020 Love this Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted January 18, 2020 Share #13 Posted January 18, 2020 Thats cool. I collect postal history, and that is the ultimate example! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomorgan Posted January 18, 2020 Share #14 Posted January 18, 2020 That's a great helmet Allan.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted January 18, 2020 Share #15 Posted January 18, 2020 Nice one Alan; I had a couple of WWI German helmets many years ago from southern Minnesota and northern Iowa; M-16s. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agate hunter Posted January 18, 2020 Share #16 Posted January 18, 2020 Wow really neat helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbolts45 Posted January 18, 2020 Share #17 Posted January 18, 2020 Wow that is an amazing helmet. Thanks for sharing this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M24 Chaffee Posted January 18, 2020 Share #18 Posted January 18, 2020 That’s really cool! The mail home WWI helmets look great! I don’t really collect much WWI but I do have a German M17 with remnants of a mailing label. Yours is great looking and you have the history! Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted January 18, 2020 Share #19 Posted January 18, 2020 Thats a great find! I always enjoy seeing these. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted January 18, 2020 Share #20 Posted January 18, 2020 Beyond cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
644td Posted January 18, 2020 Share #21 Posted January 18, 2020 Alan, This helmet has everything going for it, it’s a WW1 German camo mailed home by a General WOW!!!! He sure was a stickler for following protocol on shipping home a war trophy. Marty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share #22 Posted January 18, 2020 Many thanks for all your nice comments gentlemen, I appreciate it! Nice one Alan; I had a couple of WWI German helmets many years ago from southern Minnesota and northern Iowa; M-16s.Kurt Hi Kurt, I had another mail home label helmet that I sold unfortunately, after I was burglarized back in the early '90's in Mankato, as you might recall. It was a real beauty that came out of a motel room buy I did with Kim in the late '80's in Willmar, MN. I still remember doing a "house call" and driving over to the elderly woman's home to buy it, as she was the brother of the WW1 soldier who mailed it home. It had a very nice camo pattern, and a glued on paper address label, mailed to her parents in Wilmar, MN. I still have photos of it somewhere which I'll have to dig out. Within a year's time of being burglarized I had sold almost all of my WW1 U.S. ID'd uniform collection, and WW1 German collection. Best Regards, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Schaefer Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share #23 Posted January 19, 2020 Here's a Photo of Brig. Gen. H.A. Allen outside his tent. Best Regards, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted January 19, 2020 Share #24 Posted January 19, 2020 Sorry about the burglary because I guess I had forgotten about it; that sucks. You pulled some great stuff out of the woods here back in the day. Great helmet! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lerenfort Posted January 20, 2020 Share #25 Posted January 20, 2020 photo 7 of Brig. Gen. H.A. Allen ship home helmet. camo 7 resize 7.jpg Nice helmet, it also appears to have the owners name on the inside of the rear skirt but I can't read it at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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