Western Europe, probably France or England, late World War I period, ca. 1917 to 1918 CE. An important piece of protective equipment called a splatter mask, worn by tank gunners during WWI. The mask is comprised of a piece of metal with two panels of leather stitched over the front and back, and a projecting nose pocket. The metal sheet covers the eyes, but thin horizontal slits have been cut for the wearer to see through. Along the lower edges of the cheeks are iron rings that suspend an iron chainmail skirt to cover the mouth and chin. Attached to the sides is a cloth back strap for securing the mask. World War I tanks packed heavy firepower but little in the way of sufficiently protective armor. When an enemy tank shell hit the side of an Allied tank, the interior armoring would fracture into thousands of tiny shrapnel pieces called spalling that would severely injure the tank personnel if not kill them instantaneously. Splatter masks like this example protected the eyes and mouth of the wearer; however, sadly many gunners chose not to wear them, because they were uncomfortable. Size (mask): 5.625" L x 6" W (14.3 cm x 15.2 cm); (strap): 11.25" L (28.6 cm)

Provenance: ex-Dundee collection, Newtownabbey, United Kingdom

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