helmet

Protective utilitarian head covering, often with a strap that goes under the chin. It is worn for activities where the head might be damaged, such as building work, horse riding, motorcycling, or by military personnel as protection against low impacts. The design of the helmet is adapted for the specific activity.

Steel helmets, primarily to protect against shell splinters and shrapnel balls, although rather less effective against rifle bullets, were first issued by the French mid-1915. The idea was then taken up by the British and Germans who issued helmets early in 1916. The distinctive shapes of the French ‘Adrian’, the British ‘bowler’, and the German ‘coal-scuttle’ can all be traced back to national designs of the Middle Ages.