December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 226:
Description
Another exceptional and rare piece of WWI aviation history. This Italian-made – Made in Milan, leather hardshell flight is manufacturers marked as made in Italy. This lot features a rare and distinctive piece of early military aviation headgear: an Original World War I or Interwar Period Protective Flight Helmet, potentially used by bomber crews of the US Army Air Service USAAS or an early Italian air service. The helmet is designed for impact protection and warmth in open cockpit aircraft.
The helmet is constructed from high-quality, segmented brown leather with a rigidized or padded design that gives it a unique appearance. The most striking features are the wide, prominent padded leather roll encircling the helmet base and the two large, padded leather straps running over the dome from front to back and side to side. This heavy padding was crucial for absorbing impact in the turbulent cockpits of early military aircraft. The helmet features long ear and neck flaps designed to be secured beneath the chin with leather straps, one of which remains attached. The leather shell displays a rich, deep brown patina and noticeable creasing and wear consistent with its age.
The interior is lined with a soft orange or russet-colored suede or felt fabric, which is heavily gathered and padded around the base to provide cushioning. The material shows fading and discoloration from use. Faint stamps or markings are visible inside the dome, which, although mostly illegible, could contain manufacturer or acceptance marks. This heavily padded style is characteristic of helmets designed for bomber or patrol plane crews requiring additional impact protection. These can often be seen worn by crews of the famed Caproni bombers of WWI.
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