Home Service Helmets.

Home Service Helmets. - Art goes to War

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, It was complemented with a gilt chin strap with leather backing which was draped up and 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.  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. 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. In modern times the British Custodian Police Helmet directly derived from the HSH is still worn by British Bobbies. the new Zealand Police replaced their iconic blue and white helmets with "baseball caps" in 1994.

Here is the Victorian, Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment Officer’s Home Service Helmet with a spike on top. 

The Top Fittings:
  • Spikes: Worn by line infantry, line cavalry, and various support corps.
  • Balls: Worn by the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and ordnance corps because a sharp spike could catch on or tear the equipment, ropes, or rigging used when moving heavy artillery guns.
  • Bands: Military bands frequently wore the ball fitting instead of the spike, regardless of their parent regiment, to avoid accidental injuries during tightly packed formations or while handling large instruments.
Combat Use: While designed as a dress and field helmet, its bright polished brass fittings made it a dangerous target in combat. During active campaigns (such as the Zulu War or the Boer War), the spikes or balls were often removed, and the helmet was covered in a drab or khaki cloth cover to reduce visibility. It was eventually phased out for active service in favor of the lightweight, khaki pith helmet.

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

The word Pickelhaube comes from the German Pickel (meaning point, pickaxe, or peak) and Haube (meaning bonnet or cap).
The helmet's core details and history include:
  • 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 Portugal, Chile, Colombia, and Sweden.
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