Wednesday, 23 March 2016

Poem ~ British Brodie Versus French Adrian - Thursday, 23 March 1916


Impression sketch of Brodie versus Adrian - by Jamie. Original images can be seen at:  <http://thebrodiehelmet.weebly.com/war-office-pattern.html> <https://www.worldwarsupply.com/cart/French-Adrian-Helmet> [Accessed: 23 March 2016]

Learning by experience of wearers
From the French casque, designers
Of the British Brodie then perfected
Their final design to be distributed.

Taking over from the War Office,
Ministry of Munitions made articles -
Final idea combining various designs,
Within weeks from different origins.

By compacted time a scientific evolution
Was described, in design of effective
Headpieces formed from hardest steel,
To have circumference of a narrow lip.

A fault detected from the French casque
Was the higher dome, allowing cool air
To collect at the top - the fit being tighter
So the metal pressed on wearer’s head.

Therefore the Brodie was constructed
With a lower pitch than French, made
To make a lower target - smooth steel
Without projections or any weak flutings.

Made at Armaments House, developed
A comfortable fit - rubber studs in dome
Absorbed any shock, with a double lining
Of felt and wadding against wearers head.

The wadding would act to absorb blood
With some antiseptic, should a bullet
Cut through metal to cause scalp wound -
While a chinstrap held helmet to the head.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. The British Helmet. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 23 March 1916. P.9. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12200314/Daily-Telegraph-March-23-1916.html [Accessed: 23 March 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 23 March 2016). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1uniforms

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