WW1 British K.I.A 15th Hussars Officer French 'Acier Trempe' Helmet

An early private purchase French acier trempe ( Tempered steel ) helmet owned by 15th Kings Hussars officer Second Lieutenant L.N.Kindersley who was Killed In Action at Bourdon Wood on the 25th November 1917.
Prior to the official issue of the British steel helmet these appeared privately just before the standard M15 Adrian was introduced & were bought in limited numbers by officers. Those provided to the British were supplied without badges as here . They proved to be an unsafe investment as the tempered steel from which they were made was prone to shatter when hit by a projectile . This & their subsequent lack of popularity make surviving examples very difficult to find today. The officers unit initials of ' XV K.H.' have been applied to the front with faint remnants of his name & '15 KH' visible to the underside of the front peak. The correct leather liner is present this having received a subtle anti degenerative oiling at some point.
Coming with quite alot of research to this officer who was commissioned into the 15th Hussars on the 12th May 1915.

Code: 11987