A First War Mark I 16th Infantry Battalion; 1st Canadian Division Helmet

A First War Mark I 16th Infantry Battalion; 1st Canadian Division Helmet - Early-issued version of the infantry helmet. British-made, steel, non-magnetic, in olive green, smooth finish, with a raw edge, navy blue square above a red rectangle painted on the front, the square representative of the 16th Infantry Battalion, the rectangle representative of the 1st Canadian Division. Inside, steel-framed cradle supporting a blackened canvas liner with underlying cotton linen support and leather backer, mesh support with drawstring, stamped "FKS" and "31" ("FKS" indicating the manufacturer, T.Firth & Sons Limited of Sheffield (1916-1918); and "31" the steel batch number) on the underside of the helmet at the back, with pressed fabric in the dome. There is no rubber ring in the dome, indicative of the early Mark I version of the helmet, as it was not issued as part of the helmet's construction until the design of the Mark II version. The original leather chinstrap along with its hardware remains intact. Helmetmeasures 295 mm x 310 mm x 120 mm, the exterior with a prominent dent on top at the rear, along with various contact marks overall, wear evident on the liner, scattered soiling on the chinstrap, as worn. (C:4)