French tank helmet, 1940

Inv. No.: DPM 1.965

In the 1930s, France greatly expanded its armoured units and, at the beginning of the Second World War, had significantly more tanks than the German Reich. Tank models from the First World War were upgraded, new models were introduced and the uniforms of the crews were also further developed. A model from the First World War, the “Adrian”, served as the basis for the helmet. The front visor was removed from the model for tank crews as it interfered with field observation through optics and viewing slits. The forehead pad attached instead served as impact protection.

With the Model 35, the French army wanted to simplify its helmet production and standardize designs. The helmet was made from a single piece and the distinctive comb was removed. The model was also given a shorter neck visor to improve the wearer’s mobility and the usability of headphones. In 1940, radio operators in some armoured units received a helmet of the same design made of aluminum, but only a few of these were issued. Khaki – instead of the traditional horizon blue – became the dominant color and only the emblems differed. This helmet bears the emblem for battle tank crews: a medieval helmet with crossed cannons. In addition to soldiers in armoured divisions, there were also tank drivers in cavalry divisions and light mechanized divisions. They wore the corresponding emblems of their troop on their helmets. Unlike in the German Reich, the tanks in France were divided into different types of troops and were mainly used to support the infantry.

However, there was no general deployment of the new helmets before 1940; French soldiers wore all available Adrian models. This helmet was manufactured by the MAMOU company in Marseille in 1940 and was initially only in use for a few weeks or months before the German attack. The initials “K.P.” carved into the neck visor indicate that it was still being worn. Perhaps it was worn by a soldier in one of the French units that fought together with other Allied units in 1944. Although they were equipped with British or US uniforms, they wore French helmets whenever possible to make their national identity visible. After the war, France developed a helmet based on the US M1; only motorcyclists wore the modified “Adrian” model until the 1960s.

Sources

Doughty, Robert A.: The Seeds of Disaster – The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1919-1939, Mechanicsburg 1985.

Hennequin, Roland: Französische Militärhelme des 20. Jahrhunderts – Werdegang und Bestimmung 1900-1944, Band 1, Paris 1999.

Kraus, Jürgen: Stahlhelme, vom Ersten Weltkrieg bis zur Gegenwart, Ingolstadt 1984.

Pöhlmann, Markus: Der Panzer und die Mechanisierung des Krieges – Eine deutsche Geschichte 1890 bis 1945, Paderborn 2016.

https://www.world-war-helmets.com/fiche/Casque-Francais-Mle-35

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