Brian Wolfe

Yes, and a questionably effective weapon though the military of the day did train men in the use as a weapon. I think I have a manual kicking around here somewhere.

Nice example, and complete with the scabbard, congratulations.

Regards

Brian

Congratulations, an excellent specimen, well done.

Regards

Brian

OMG, you've got yourself a mistress!

Oh, dude, you never bring them home!

Regards

Brian

Just a friendly caution, this time, pull back on the tempers or stop posting.

There is no reason we can't discuss this issue, or any other, in a civil manner.

Regards

Brian

Fantastic! Thank you for going to all the trouble, it is greatly appreciated.

Regards from 6 hours South of Ottawa, but still in Upper Canada.

Brian

Hello,

Very nice find indeed, congratulations.

I thought Mervyn said "Hollywood" and was just about to give him the gears.

Regards

Brian

Hi Tony,

PM sent, thank you very much.

Regards

Brian

Hi Tony,

Thanks for this information, now is the type "D" also the Mk.I? I suspect that since the date of the document is late 1915 this could be the model just before the Mk.I, which came out in 1916. Any thoughts?

Regards

Brian

Hi Jerry,

I agree with you 100%. I think that almost every collector in the world knows the British helmet by the term brodie and really that should be the main point. I do like the correct terminology to at least be known and with that in mind if you or any other member runs onto any documentation that would shed light on this point please let the members know, as will I.

Regards

Brian

I am convinced that I need to research this more so I'll do that and see what I find.

God knows, it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

Brian

I would imagine he still held the patent even though the government made changes and renamed the helmet the Mk.I and so on. The original helmet submitted to the War Department would have been "sealed" upon acceptance and necessary changes made as needed. Even today, with other products, I doubt the rim application on the brodie helmet making it the Mk.I would have constituded enough of a change to void the patent or create new one.

Perhaps it is the collectors who have decided to separate the pre Mk.I from the earlier brodie helmet by deeming the pre Mk.I "Brodie". Not sure about that point.

Ha ha, yes "Doughboy" is correct, I was just being a "pill" putting doe (a deer, a female deer- now I can't get that song out of my mind) and buoy (a naval marker) together. Ok, not funny.

Regards

Brian

Well strictly speaking as far as I understand it the rimless types were known as war office pattern type A & B, not brodies at all, perhaps I am wrong. As Paul mentioned above, if the early MKI's have Brodie helmet on the liner, then how can anyone claim they are not Brodies?

It was common enough to use up current stocks if they fit a newer design, at least until the new, in this case liners, were produced in quantities large enough to meet the demand. If one of the later WWII "turtle shell" helmets were fitted with the WWI liner because there were not enough liners for the new heimet then from your reasoning they too would be brodies...D-Day Brodies. Of course this would indeed be a rare collectable.

I don't think the A & B ever when into general use and the thrid "pattern", called the brodie, afer its inventor, first came out in 1915 and had a sharp rim (no rolled piece around the rim). Due to complaints about safety the helmet was redesigned and issued as the Mk.I in 1916. I don't believe the term "brodie" was ever an official name so it was not the MK.I Brodie (1916). The first brodies were not made in qualtities to be issued right away and became Trench Stores and when a soldier left the trenches he left the helmet behind for his replacement to use. In 1916 the Mk.I was produced in qualtities large enough to be issued to all troops.

Facts are facts my friends and do not change unlike memories, especially with the passing of time, so I stand to be corrected.

Regards

Brian

All joking aside, and I assume we are joking in regard to “beardy types, anoraks and train spotters”, facts are facts my friends and only those helmets made early on, that is to say the rimless variety are true brodies. All helmets after that went by MK.I, Mk.II etc.

I suppose in the big picture all British helmets might as well be called brodies after all is there a difference between a gun and a rifle, a rifle and a musket, or a Tommy and a Doughboy (especially if spelled “Doebuoy”)?

Calling a Memorial Plaque a Death Penny can also get me ranting. I’m not obsessive, it’s just that everything must be in neat rows, and correctly labeled. That’s why I hate cats, you just can’t get them to stay in neat rows and they keep removing those sticky labels from their foreheads!!!

Seriously, a great post with a lot of very interesting information.

Thanks everyone...I have to go now I think I hear a train coming.

Regards

Brian

Nice helmets and WWI for sure, however, I don't think they are true Brodies as they lacked the rim ring which appeared shortly after the true Brodie, yours has the later rim ring. The term Brodie "stuck" but the later issues were actually made as "Marks".

I do stand to be corrected on this point.

Thanks for posting them.

Regards

Brian

Sorry, dragons are solitary therefore only one per own and not for sale. I could let you have a couple of Amazon guards, it would quickly help you know if the term "girlfriend" was correct for that best friend you mentioned.

Regards

Brian

I'll see what I can do, if the catacomb doors are not rusted shut.

Regards

Brian

Yes but I keep my collection of raw gems stones (part of the geological collection) here locked away deep in the catacombs under the Home Office, guarded by my dragon and corps of Amazons.

By the way, the whole collection will be coming up for sale in 2015. I'm keeping the dragon and Amazons though.

Regards

Brian

I'm in agreement with Frank and Larry so would that be, ditto ditto.

Your works are always amazing, thank you so very much for posting them.

Regards

Brian

if it's a old sword blade then don't.

Regards

Brian

Thanks for the most interesting photos.

I wonder if the brass "truncheon" with the ball top is actually a tipstaff denoting the persons authority from the Crown.

I hope Mervyn will render his opinion on this.

The use of the mirror by the police in your story makes me wonder if one of these might be handy the next time I visit the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. There is no way, at my age, I can crawl under the displayed equipment to see the under carrige of the tanks and other hidden details on the artillery pieces etc. There was a day when I could, would and did... of course they hadn't even invented tanks back that far.

Regards

Brian

I'm always amazed at the size of the MG08/15 LMG, especially when it is classed as a Light Machine Gun, of course everything is relative. One would be hard pressed to carry the heavy machine gun in the same manner.

Great photo with lots of action and equipment, thanks for posting it Jock.

Regards

Brian

Smart move by the three fellows sitting in front, "It's a group photo you idiots they might want to see your faces!".

Looks like the older gentleman on the right is not amused.

Interesting photo, thanks for posting it Jock.

Regards

Brian

Thank you for posting this interesting and historic group. The gentleman certainly had an intertesting career.

Regards

Brian

I agree with the above, wonderful work and congratulations.

Regards

Brian

I'm impressed, even the hat is named, very well done. If the medals and watch get in the way.....

Well done, Stuart.

Regards from Upper Canada (as opposed to Down Under).

Brian