Artifact Friday: US M1917 Doughboy Helmet

World War 1 set the precedent for the next world war, which would follow just twenty years later. The US M1917 Doughboy Helmet in our WW1 display case is just a piece of history that details the conflict between 1914 and 1918. When fighting broke out, the United States chose the British MK helmets, mostly for their 400,000 immediate availability to troops. By 1917, the United States started to make its own helmet, the M1917, in the fall of 1917.

Essentially, the M1917 was a stamped-out bowl from a sheet of manganese alloy and was .036 thick. This was different from the British Mk helmets due to the Mk helmets being only 12 percent manganese, making the M1917 more protective. The lining within the helmet helped produce a balance of weight upon the soldier's head. The lining was made up of cotton twine, and along with this was a rubber lining around the edge that kept the helmet away from the head enough that impact could not damage the soldier's skull. Not only did this lining create a balanced weight, but if struck by force on the head, then it would deliver a balanced blow.

The M1917 helmet was important to the protection of soldiers, and this small development could have meant life or death for just one soldier. Come check out our World War 1 display case in building three.