Original Item: One-of-a-kind. When America was drawn into the European conflict it possessed no steel helmets of its own. They looked to other nations for ideas and selected the British helmet as the most suitable. Britain supplied about half a million helmets to the Americans before production of an American version was started in the U.S. This is a fantastic, genuine Named Great War hand painted camouflage American made helmet. Helmet features textured original period colored “panel” style camouflage paint, in various shades of green, brown, blue, yellow, and black.

The paint is somewhat worn, and definitely shows use, but it has a great textured look and the colors are still easily discernible. On the lower outside rim you can find the name Robert McGiffin painted in a light gold color.

Robert R. McGiffin was born on July 13, 1895 in Scottdale, Pennsylvania. PFC McGiffin departed for France on August 22, 1918 aboard the French ship SS Lutetia. McGiffin served in a medical units at Rimaucourt, a commune in the Haute-Marne department in North-Eastern France and another in Beaune. Beaune is a commune in eastern France, a sub-prefecture of department 21, the Côte-d'Or department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. He served in 2 “Type-A” medical units, Base Hospital 58 and 61, which were essentially field hospital units consisting mostly of marquee tents and cots.

In September 1917, the surgeon general of the A.E.F. recommended thatf five units of type A (base hospitals) be constructed, which would constitute the hospital center of Bazeilles-sur-Meuse. As the participation of Americans in combat grew, larger and larger centers were set up.

On December 12, 1917, authorization was given for the construction of ten type A base hospitals, in Allerey (Saône-et-Loire), Beaune (Côte d'Or), Mars and Mesves (Nièvre) respectively. On the 13th, a project of 3,000 beds was approved in Nantes. Before the end of December, the installation of other centers was authorized for Bordeaux-Beau Désert (5 000 beds, to be increased to 20 000), Langres (2 000 beds), Rimaucourt (2 000 beds, to be extended to 9 000), Limoges and Périgueux (number of beds to be determined).
Progressively, other centers were added: Vittel-Contréxeville, Savernay, Vichy, Toul and Côte d'Azur, so that in the end there were twenty American hospital centers in service upon cessation of hostilities, of which five were in advanced sectors, eight in intermediate sectors and seven in base sectors. As well, a certain number of others were projected or in the process of being constructed.

The interior of the helmet has all the original paint but unfortunately does not have a liner, only the top pad. The underside of the rim is stamped YJ 122 indicating that this is an American produced helmet. The solid rivets attaching the chin-strap bales also confirms that this is a U.S. made helmet.

A wonderful totally original helmet with genuine original paint! Ready to display!