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Post Your WWI & WWII American Field Service Adrian Helmets


Bugme
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ADMIN. NOTE: We have retitled this thread to include all AFS helmets. Anyone who wants to post theirs here is welcome to do so.

This is one those helmets that was on my short list of "Must Have Helmets". Today, it got scratched off my list. First, a little information about the American Field Service (AFS) from WWI:

The American Field Service started as the ambulance arm of the American Hospital in Paris. Its driving force was A. Piatt Andrew, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and professor of economics at Harvard University. A mid-1915 agreement resulted in the U.S. Driven Ambulances being attached to French line divisions in the early pre-U.S. involvement days of WWI.

The AFS had recruited its drivers directly from colleges and universities around the United States. Individual ambulance units were made up exclusively of drivers from particular universities. Thus there were Harvard units, Yale units, etc. This helmet is Identified to John Aubrey Gordon of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and he served with T.M.U. 184.

There were three predominant WWI volunteer ambulance groups: the American Field Service (AFS), Norton-Harjes, and the American Red Cross operation in Italy. When the United States entered the war, AFS and Norton-Harjes were both merged into the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps.

However, because of bad eyesight, John Gordon was not allowed to enter the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps. So he joined up with the American Red Cross Ambulance Operation in Italy as an Ambulance Driver.

This M-15 French Adrian can be identified as being worn by an American by the distinctly U.S. style shield on the front of the helmet.

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According to newspaper accounts John Gordon was decorated personally by the King of Italy for the actions of himself and three other volunteers on June 15th, 1918. The newspaper article in the Boston Sunday Advertiser said the following: "At 3 o'clock on the morning of the 15th, the commander of the No.2 Ambulance Division, judged by the intensity of the bombardment, that a certain advanced post needed a reinforcement of ambulances. John Gordon and three other volunteers were detailed for this duty. They advanced to this post in spite of a violent enemy bombardment of shells and gas. This medical post became so dangerous that it had to be abandoned. However, these four volunteers continued to carry wounded, gathering them from the road. They continued their task throughout the day and night during the entire offensive."

 

Below is a close-up of the U.S. Ambulance Drivers helmet badge.

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After his service with the AFS in Italy, John joined the French Army as an officer and served until his discharge in March of 1919. After WWI ended John returned to the United States and continued his education at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Kent College of Law graduating in 1923.

 

Below is a side view of his AFS helmet.

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In 1931 John returned to his hometown of Barre, Vermont and set up his own legal practice. Then on October 21st 1932, He married Florence M. Smith. He and his wife had only one child: Janet.

 

Below are the initials that John Aubrey Gordon (JAG) scratched into his helmet brim:

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John was elected to be Mayor of Barre in 1934 and served in that capacity until 1939 when he resigned to become the town manager. He resumed his private law practice for a short time from 1946 to 1948 and then returned to become the Barre Town Manager until ill health forced him to resign in 1951. John passed away in January of 1957.

 

Below is another view of Johns helmet.

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This helmet was purchased from an antique shop in Danville, Vermont in 2001. the antique dealer had purchased it from an Estate Sale in Barre, Vermont. Thus, the points were all connected.

 

Here's a few views of the back and of the top of helmet:

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I was fortunate to pick up this helmet from Scott over at Bay State Militaria last week. I'm absolutely thrilled! I was looking for any example of an AFS helmet but, to get one that was ID'd is just icing on the cake!

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Wow....a rare bird and IDed taboot!!!......nice ol pot!!...how many of these guys were there in WWI and i wonder how many examples exist today??........mike

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Greetings Scott: To find an example from such a small unit and to have such a detailed provenance is exceptionally rare. The condition is just the way I like them. Used,but not abused . I would say almost one of a kind.

Congrats!

Zeke

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A rare one indeed - and with the added bonus of an identification to a soldier with such an interesting story. This type of helmet is one that any broad US helmet collection really can't do without. I'm glad you were finally able to check this one off your list and I bet the wait made it that much more rewarding!

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...how many of these guys were there in WWI?

Initially of the American Field Service there were approx. 1,875 college students who joined with a total of approx. 2,300 by the time the U.S. absorbed these men into the American Expeditionary Forces. This does not take into account the men of: Norton-Harjes and the American Red Cross Operation in Italy. I wish I could give you more solid numbers but, this is all I've got. Suffice it to say, it was not a large number.

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That's one of my Holy Grails.

It was my quest also however, my quest is now complete.

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Love those ultra rare helmets. But, I can't dwell on it to much. It might bring me back into the WW1 area of helmet collecting and the WW2 area has me broke all to often :lol: ! But seriously, very nice score, and love the fact that its history has not been lost.

 

Wade

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Thanks for all the comments guys! After seeing the results of the recent helmet collectors poll, I was pretty sure this helmet would not generate much conversation among collectors since there seems to be a small number of Helmet collectors who have an interest in WWI. However, I am pleasantly surprised by the interest. Let me point out the rarity of this helmet: There are probably less marked AFS helmets left in the world than there are post WWI Experimental Model 8's.

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just-a-good-ole-boy

Way to go Scott and it looks great. Cant add much to what has already been said, but man what a nice lid!

 

Steve

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So it was YOU who got that helmet!!??? Great score my friend!


Tom, do you think I can let you have them all? :)
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