Model 1927 (m27) helmets
The Dutch m27 model helmet is briefly described below. If you would like to know more about the m27 helmet, I would like to advise you to purchase the book 'The Dutch steel helmet 1916-1992'. In this book you will find a lot of information about decision-making, development, production, amount of produced helmets and much more. There are also many photos in which you can view details and photos where the m27 helmet can be seen in use.
On July 1, 1927, the helmet model 1927 (m27) was officially introduced as Helmet New Model and all models of helmets m16 were referred to as Helmet Old Model.
On December 31, 1926, the production of the new helmet was ordered and at the end of May 1927 the test series of 200 helmet shells was ready. In June and July 1927, the trial series of 200 helmets was sent to De Booij in Den Bosch for an interior. However, it took until the end of January 1928 before the inner works were placed and the helmets were ready. Since the introduction of the m27, carrying the helmet other than on the head has been an important and much discussed topic. The m27 was designed without a knapsack slot, which limited options for carrying the m27 other than on the head. At the beginning of 1927, the request came to equip the helmet with a backp slot. The helmets from the first production series, which started at the end of July 1927, did not initially have a backpack belt slot. Only from September 1927, the helmets were equipped with a backpack belt slot.
On August 26, 1928, an inventory shows that the majority of the m27 helmets have a knapsack slot. It also appears that it is possible to provide the m27 helmets without a backpack belt slot with this. The helmets must be stripped of the liner, annealed, fitted with a knapsack slot, bare and hardened, repainted and liner fitted again. This would be a very costly adjustment, so it is advisable not to provide these helmets with a backpack belt slot.
The m27 helmets without a knapsack slot would only be issued to the Infantry because the Infantry did not need a helmet with a knapsack slot.
In the end, the number of helmets without a knapsack slot was limited to the first 200 pilot series helmets and the m27 helmets produced from July 1927 to September 1927. In the early 1930s, almost all of these m27 helmets still had a knapsack slot.
In February 1931 private industry had to be involved in production as much as possible and in May 1931 it was decided to involve Verblifa in production. At the beginning of 1932, the entire production was outsourced to the Verblifa. The rivets that fastened the chinstrap to the liner and helmet shell were fragile and broke easily under pressure. Therefore, on May 18, 1931, it was decided to attach the chinstrap bracket with a copper rivet, which was immediately implemented in production. It was decided to modify the helmets in use by replacing the 2 rivets that held the chin strap brackets with 2 brass rivets. This only happened with the helmets of which the rivets broke off, causing the chin strap brackets to come loose. In early 1932 some modified m27 helmets were produced which may be called m27GE (modified model). They were helmets that were changed during regular production and were delivered with the regular orders.
All helmets m27 intended for the Field Army were provided with a national coat of arms, placed in the center front. The lion emblem had already been discussed in detail on December 13, 1923 in an interim report of the Helmet Commission. For the production, the Rijksmunt from Utrecht was called upon, which asked Chris van der Hoef to design the lion emblem. Van der Hoef came up with two sketches so far. One with a crowned W of Queen Wilhelmina and one with a heraldic Dutch Lion. The latter design was preferred, which was approved on March 31, 1927. The lion emblem was made of red copper and was soldered onto the helmet.
