The Belgian Experimental Model 1917 (M-17) was one of the few combat-effective helmets in World War I that utilized a protective face shield/visor. Modeled after the French Dunand helmet that featured a fully perforated visor of long slits, the Belgian M-17’s visor exhibited smaller, more elliptical holes. Also, to increase the overall strength of the visor, Belgian creators only placed the holes over the wearer’s visual areas instead of the entire face shield like in the Dunand.¹ The M-17’s shell was produced in the same manganese steel alloy used by British and American helmets of the period and came with either a British or French style interior liner. Initial ballistic tests concluded that the helmet shell held its integrity from a bullet traveling at 730 feet per second and the visor at 602 feet per second. Where the perforations cover visual areas, however, ballistics revealed little to no resistance. The M-17 with face shield installed weighed approximately 44 ounces.² Bashford Dean, armor historian and Curator of Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, noted in 1920 that the Belgian M-17 “is comfortable to wear in general, considering that it is a visored helmet, its balance is good….In the manner of shape, the present helmet is criticized as being too narrow and flat to insure the maximum safety use.”³ Dean went on to describe other faults in his analysis of the Belgian Experimental M-17 including its high chance of indention and limited side protection,⁴ but overall it proved effective on the battlefield.⁵

Historical Context

Germany invaded Belgium on August 3, 1914. This act violated the Belgian neutrality treaty of 1839 and directly resulted in Britain’s declaration of war on Germany a day later, August 4, beginning World War I.¹ At the time Belgium maintained one of the best armament industries in Europe, but under German attack they became dependant on Britain and France for armor and weaponry.² Until 1916 a large majority of helmets worn by Belgian troops were of the French Adrian model. This led Belgian leaders to insist on creating a distinct Belgian helmet that differed from those of their allies, particularly a helmet that provided face protection. The experimental helmet project began with the monetary backing of the Belgian Queen Elizabeth (1876-1965) who “wished to provide her soldiers with a helmet which should protect their faces and especially their eyes.”³ She chose the Director General of British Trench Warfare, John MacIntosh, to lead the project. Through the efforts of the British supply department and the Sankey firm of Wolverhampton, England, the distinct Belgian helmet became a reality in 1917.⁴ Approxiamtely 40,000 Belgian M-17s were produced during World War I, and it saw major action along the Yser Front in 1918.⁵

Garment Type: Infantry Helmet

Year Made: 1917