NAM.2008-10-28-1

Protective face mask for tank crew, worn by Sgt Henry Jarvis, Tank Corps, 1917 (c). Metal eye shield with five slits horizontally across each eye. It features a padded interior and leather exterior with steel mail nose and mouth shield and 4 tapes for fastening. Associated with World War One (1914-1918). These masks were issued to all tank crew to prevent ‘bullet splash’ from German Type ‘K’ armour piercing machine-gun bullets. Fragments of lead sprayed into the tank through the vision slits. Non-armour piercing rounds could penetrate the armour at close range and in greater concentrations. It is likely that they were rarely used due to the pitch-black conditions during battle and intense heat.

World War One, Western Front (1914-1918)