Before the British Foreign Service Helmet (FSH) was issued in 1877 there was the Home Service Helmet (HSH). This was a splendidly gaudy affair based on the Prussian "Pickelhaube". The HSH was surmounted with a spike or a ball with a four prong base, complemented with a gilt chin strap with leather backing which was draped up around the helmet to a hook on the back, when not in use. The visor was edged in brass and a long strip of brass bisected the back of the helmet extending to the edge of the rear visor. The US ceremonial helmets from the nineteenth century known as the M1872 and M1882 were also based on the Prussian Pickelhaube as well as HSH British Models. Below is a nice example of a King's Regiment HSH from the Edwardian Period (1901-1914) which followed Queen Victoria's death in 1901. The HSH was discontinued for regular use in the First World War, as being somewhat impractical in the trenches and also providing a target for snipers.
Here is a Victorian, Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment Officer’s HSH which I just purchased to photograph, paint and add to my collection.
The latest painting project is another rendition of the Classic FSH associated with the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, which famously fought in the Zulu Wars at Rorke's Drift, as depicted in the 1979 film Zulu" starring Michael Caine and Stanley Baker.
This is what the final painting will look like, (more or less):
Here is a Prussian Pickelhaube with a spike on top
- Practical Design: Originally introduced in 1842 by King Frederick William IV of Prussia, the helmet was made of boiled leather with brass fittings, with the top spike designed to help deflect downward cavalry sabre strikes.
- World War I Phasing Out: In the trenches of World War I, the leather provided inadequate protection against artillery shrapnel. The long, reflective spike also made soldiers visible targets, prompting Germany to replace it with the steel Stahlhelm in 1916.
- Modern Usage: While completely phased out in Germany after 1918, you can still see ceremonial Pickelhaubes in use today by the militaries and royal guards of several South American and European countries, including Chile, Colombia, and Sweden.
This is King Edward VII (1901-1910), in his splendid Coronation garb. Nice painting also.
- Subject: King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, who reigned from 1901 to 1910.
- Artist: Sir Samuel Luke Fildes (1844–1927), a British painter and illustrator.
- Context: The image depicts the king in his official coronation robes.
- Legacy: His reign marked the beginning of the Edwardian era in British history