It is quite easy to tell what this is, isn’t it? I am pretty sure that most members here can tell right away.
But, as so often in this world, all is not quite what it seems…
Yes, it is a British made Brodie patent helmet, but it is not a MkI, though it is absolutely identical to one. This is a Norwegian Model 1915.
Strange as it may seem, during WWI, while Britain was producing steel helmets full tilt, the Norwegian army requested to buy 10.000 helmets for testing, and the brits sold the helmets to us. Therefore this helmet newer reached the battlefields of WWI, but ended up in neutral Norway. Delivered in 1916.
It will have been used by the Norwegian neutrality watch during WWI, keeping Norway safe and out of the world war.
In the end, the Norwegian army settled on another steel helmet, the model 31, but these were still kept.
So, these did not see military action until the German invasion 9th of April 1940, and in the two months of fighting before our army were forced to capitulate. In those days they saw plenty of action.
During the occupation these saw limited use. I know a relative of mine used one in the far north, serving as a fire-warden during the heavy bombing of eastern Finnmark.
Post-WWII these were used by our army, alongside captured German helmets, but went out of use in the 50-s. I believe the thick coat of paint that has been applied is post war, and the net (Norwegian or British?) was added before the paint was totally dry. The original chinstrap has been cut and replaced with a Norwegian strap.
So, it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, but in this case it isn’t.