While steel helmets never completely disappeared from the battlefield – and helmets were worn by cavalry units throughout the 18th and 19th centuries – at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 most British infantrymen wore only the Home Service Helmet as part of a dress uniform and for parade type duties. Forage caps were the standard headdress for soldiers in the field, but by 1916 it was apparent that soft caps as well as sun helmets that were worn in tropical regions weren’t enough to protect against head wounds from artillery barrages or other low velocity impacts. Continue reading →