Germany WW1 Camouflaged M16 Helmet

A very good example of a four panel colour scheme.
Two sections of the same colour bottle green with an earth brown and a rust brown section defined by a thick black stripe. Makers and size stamp “TJ68” to the inside flare. Omelette with its original brown leather three pad M16 liner. This in very good condition only having moderate age wear. One of the pads is missing one tongue. There is also a faint owners name scratched into the liner band.

The camouflage helmet of the First World War is more often than not associated with Storm Troopers, however this is incorrect as a general rule. In July of 1918 a directive came down from Chief of General Staff Ludendorff which called for helmets to be painted with a camouflage pattern. The directive reads as follows:

Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army
II. No. 91 366

7 July 1918

Through a purposeful, variegated surface paint on cannons, mortars, machine guns, steel helmets, etc., these devices may be much more easily hidden from view than before.
The authorized trials have produced the following results:

1. Steel helmets:
A painted surface with one color (e.g. green or light brown) or with small splotches of a variety of colors is superior to a standard single color helmet, although it still allows the recognition of the characteristic form and silhouette.
In this regard, a three-colored surface which has had the borders blended, simulating a shadow effect is not recognizable beyond a distance of 60 meters.
Particulars regarding a useful surface: Dull colors – the helmet must not shine. Sprinkling the still-damp oil paint with fine sand stops the surface from glistening in the sun.
The choice of colors is to be purposely changed according to the time of year. One of the three colors must match the basic color found in the region of fighting.
Suitable at this time: green, yellow ochre, rust brown
Separation of the surface of the helmet into equal-sized portions, consisting of large, sharp-cornered patches.
Support – On the front side of the helmet, no more than four colored fields must be visible. Light and dark colors are to be placed next to each other. The colored segments are to be sharply separated from each other by a finger-wide black stripe.

Overall this a good opportunity to acquire an original camouflage helmet complete with liner.

Code: 2093