British army Brodie-style helmet with ribbed dome found at Fromelles

Place Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Nord, Lille, Fromelles
Accession Number REL/00979
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Helmet
Physical description Cotton, Cotton wool, Felt, Rubber, Steel
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom
Date made c 1915-1916
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

An early British privately made Brodie style mild-steel helmet with a ribbed dome, and two vent holes on either side. The liner is still present and is coming away on one side. Its cotton drawstring is visible at the base of the dome. There are several large dents in the dome caused by battlefield damage. The rim is bent under at one end.

History / Summary

Fromelles was the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front. Directed against a strong German position known as the Sugar Loaf salient, the attack was intended primarily as a feint to draw German troops away from the Somme offensive then being pursued further to the south. A seven-hour preparatory bombardment deprived the attack of any hope of surprise, and ultimately proved ineffective in subduing the well-entrenched defenders.

When the troops of the 5th Australian and 61st British Divisions attacked at 6 pm on 19 July 1916, they suffered heavily at the hands of German machine-gunners. Small parts of the German trenches were captured by the 8th and 14th Australian Brigades, but, devoid of flanking support and subjected to fierce counter-attacks, they were forced to withdraw. By 8am on 20 July 1916, the battle was over. The 5th Australian Division suffered 5,533 casualties, rendering it incapable of offensive action for many months; the 61st British Division suffered 1,547 casualties. The German casualties were little more than 1,000. The attack was a complete failure as the Germans realised within a few hours it was merely a feint. It therefore had no impact whatsoever upon the progress of the Somme offensive.

This helmet was collected from the site of the battle of Fromelles in 1918 by members of the Australian War Records Section.