Prototype Liberty Bell Helmet

[Red Devil]

Hi everyone!

 

I am excited to share a very special new helmet with you all.  There is very little scholarship that I can locate that sheds light on these, so I am presenting what I can find. I would greatly look forward to any additional insights that anyone might be able to share.

 

This is what I believe to be a prototype example of the “Liberty Bell” helmet that was proposed and provisionally adopted at the end of World War I to replace the M1917.  They were not entirely well-received due to their shape, and after a short production run, they were sidelined.

 

 

 

While Liberty Bell examples are scarce, this example is different from most I’ve seen posted online in several ways.  It is made of thin steel, more akin to the thickness of French Adrian helmets than the thickness of the M1917 (I haven’t handled a standard Liberty Bell to compare).  The liner and chinstrap are similar to French Adrian designs--and unlike the versions found in Liberty Bells posted on the forum. 

 

 

Most striking is the ornamental design of the Liberty Bell embossed on the front.  There is a reference in a Stars and Stripes article about Liberty Bell helmets on November 8, 1918, that mentioned their new helmets were emblazoned with this image. As far as I know, only one other surviving example has surfaced to corroborate the article.  I have reached out to its caretaker to add his example here if he chooses.

 

 

The dome pad is marked “DUNAND” in thin painted lettering and a line appears to read “CIE DES CÓMTEUR” above a US size marking. I’m not entirely sure how this translates. The Dunand brothers were renowned French armorers known for their innovative efforts to develop new headgear in World War I; many of their helmet designs featured eye shields.  Interestingly, they also produced a number of decoratively-embossed prototypes for other countries.  While the Liberty Bell helmet design is attributed to Major James E. McNary, due to this marking it is quite possible that this is a prototype submitted by the French armorers --or a McNary prototype provided with a Dunand liner. 

 

 

Bashford Dean’s Helmets and Body Armor in Modern Warfare (1920) emerges as the best resource I have found on the subject of experimental helmets, tracing the developments of protective armor and helmets in WWI.  Dean notes that the Dunands shopped different helmet styles across Europe, including to US, Belgian, French, and Swiss military boards.  There is no reference to an embossed Liberty Bell type in Dean’s text, but the use of French-style liners and non-ballistic metal composition align with Dean’s descriptions of prototypes made in France. 

 

The thin steel of this Liberty Bell example has been dented and battered, clearly showing the thin steel construction.  The liner remains mostly complete, and is affixed to a padded inner band with four springs. There are three rivets--one for securing the dome pad, and one of each end of the chinstrap.

 

I am very excited to share this with our collecting community and look forward to any input and contributions that might add to our understanding of this helmet design.

 

Cheers,

Johannes

[aef1917]

You're correct that it's a prototype of the Liberty Bell.  The official AEF Ordnance designation for this was the Model E, and it was produced by the Compagnie Générale des Compteurs et Matériels d'Usines à Gaz of Paris, which is what the abbreviation in the liner signifies.

 

There were 12 prototypes made, and I know of one other, with a slightly different embossed bell.  It also has a different liner than this one, which is of a type I haven't seen before, and isn't mentioned in any of the AEF Ordnance documents I've located.

[Red Devil]

4 hours ago, aef1917 said:

You're correct that it's a prototype of the Liberty Bell.  The official AEF Ordnance designation for this was the Model E, and it was produced by the Compagnie Générale des Compteurs et Matériels d'Usines à Gaz of Paris, which is what the abbreviation in the liner signifies.

 

There were 12 prototypes made, and I know of one other, with a slightly different embossed bell.  It also has a different liner than this one, which is of a type I haven't seen before, and isn't mentioned in any of the AEF Ordnance documents I've located.

 

Thank you for this information! I really appreciate the input.

[M24 Chaffee]

Interesting! I was not aware of these helmets. Thanks for posting it!

 

Frank

[Paul Reijnders]

Hello Johannes,

 

That's a great example / prototype of the Liberty Bell helmet.

Ian wrote : "and I know of one other, with a slightly different embossed bell.  It also has a different liner than this one"

I have a similar helmet but with the remains of a different liner

 

Regards, Paul

 

 

 

[Bugme]

On 6/17/2024 at 4:42 PM, aef1917 said:

You're correct that it's a prototype of the Liberty Bell.  The official AEF Ordnance designation for this was the Model E, and it was produced by the Compagnie Générale des Compteurs et Matériels d'Usines à Gaz of Paris, which is what the abbreviation in the liner signifies.

 

There were 12 prototypes made, and I know of one other, with a slightly different embossed bell.  It also has a different liner than this one, which is of a type I haven't seen before, and isn't mentioned in any of the AEF Ordnance documents I've located.

I read your post and thought: "He's  talking about Paul", and then Paul posted. Lol!

[Mr.Jerry]

Wow!! Coooooool!

 

[themick]

Wow, talk about a rare helmet.  I've never heard of it.  Very informative post.  Thank you to those of you who shared examples.

 

Steve 

[TYPE90XJL]

WOW Johannes , That is indeed wonderful to see and thanks so much for posting it . I was lucky enough to own the the other example posted here by Paul ,,, For all of about half an hour, and still vividly remember his face when I opened the trunk of my car ! Ians info and research is great to read and especially the info in regards to who produced the Liberty Bell helmets ,Compagnie Générale des Compteurs et Matériels d'Usines à Gaz of Paris. On a side note this companys stamped logo inside their  Adrian helmets utilised an anchor and was for decade wrongly thought to be the Colonial company ,hower headed paper was found in helmet related archives with the anchor symbol and the Compteurs heading .

[Red Devil]

I appreciate the positive comments! I greatly appreciate Paul sharing his fantastic example and Ian's information--I continue to learn a lot and this valuable collaboration benefits our collecting community as a whole.  

 

TYPE90XJL - any backstory on where you sourced yours? This one came out of an estate in Massachusetts with an unnamed officer's uniform, a prewar French officer's belt, and a pair of German shoulder boards. 

 

Thanks again everyone!

[TYPE90XJL]

On 6/23/2024 at 11:10 PM, Red Devil said:

I appreciate the positive comments! I greatly appreciate Paul sharing his fantastic example and Ian's information--I continue to learn a lot and this valuable collaboration benefits our collecting community as a whole.  

 

TYPE90XJL - any backstory on where you sourced yours? This one came out of an estate in Massachusetts with an unnamed officer's uniform, a prewar French officer's belt, and a pair of German shoulder boards. 

 

Thanks again everyone!

Sorry no backstory as such , quite simply I was helping a friend at his table at the huge ciney show in Belgium and the helmet was purchased simply off a dealer  , when I asked the seller where it came from he simply pointed in the distance and said "another table over there 20 mins ago " 

[HoovieDude]

Stunning!