A First War 87th Infantry Battalion "Canadian Grenadiers Guards" Helmet; Named
4th Canadian Division: British-made, steel, non-magnetic, in dark green, stencilled Canadian Grenadiers Guards insignia in yellow painted on the front. The protective edge of the helmet in a magnetic steel. Inside, steel-framed cradle supporting a blackened canvas liner with underlying burlap support and leather backer, mesh support with drawstring, stamped "HV 602 " ("H" indicating the manufacturer, Hutton & Sons Ltd of Sheffield; "V" indicating the steel manufacturer, Vickers Ltd of Sheffield; and "602" the steel batch number) on the underside of the helmet at the front, with pressed fabric in the dome and stamped in red ink on the underside of the blackened liner with the manufacturer's stamp. The leather strap in the dome is marked in black handwritten ink with the owner's service number "408107" (Venant Hamelin of Grondines, Quebec) and impressed with the size stamp "6 7/8". The leather chinstrap along with its hardware remains intact. Helmet measures 295 mm x 313 mm x 120 mm, exhibiting scattered bubbling and surface wear on the exterior, light crazing and wear on the chinstrap, as worn. Footnote: Venant Hamelin was born on October 6, 1890 in Grondines, Comte de Portnoeuf, Quebec. He was a resident of Grondines when he signed his Particulars of Recruit Drafted Under Military Service Act 1917 Paper (4080107) with the 1st Depot Battalion in Vancouver, British Columbia, on December 14, 1917, at the age of 27, naming his next-of-kin as his father, Philas Hamelin of Grondines, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was Single, that his religion was Roman Catholic and that his trade was that of Labourer. Hamelin embarked Canada on February 18, 1918 aboard the S.S. Saxonia, arriving in England on March 4th. He was taken on strength of the 10th Reserve Battalion at Witley, then transferred to the 23rd Reserve Battalion, before being transferred again on August 8th, to the 87th Infantry Battalion "Canadian Grenadiers Guards" for service in the French theatre. He arrived in France on the 10th and joined his new unit on the 18th. After nine months in France, he proceeded to England on May 3, 1919 and was posted to A Wing at the Canadian Convalescent Depot for return to Canada, on May 22nd. Hamelin returned to Canada on May 31st aboard the H.M.T.S. Mauretania and was discharged from service due to "Medical Unfitness" on June 8, 1919 at Dispersal Station "F", Military District No. 4 in Ottawa, Ontario.

