Jamese, You are kidding right? These Soldiers are working around tons of explosive steel, horses that kick and wheels that crush, not to mention the death and destruction reigned down on them by the Allies and the Germans decide to change their helmets because someone could lose an eye? What next, they round over the ends of their bayonets? War is a dangerous business and I would conjecture that the spike on the top of their pickelhauben would have been about the least dangerous item in the deadly inventory. It is only in recent times that the loss of one person's eye would cause the upheaval of a whole army's uniform requirements and that is a phenomenon brought about by litigation and the ACLU of this Century. Back at the turn of the Century it was expected that a few people lose an eye and if they did, tough luck. Of course this is only conjecture on my part and comes from studying Military history and personal accounts of Soldiers during the Great War. The German Military was not as easily changed as one might imagine since it was a giant bureaucracy and if change was made it was only after many months of tests and trials.They were also very symbolic and if one studies their uniforms it becomes immediately apparent that meaning was given to any and all differences among rank and branch of service. I have to throw in with Ron here and I would dearly love to be proven wrong as well as it would blow my whole theory on why the German Army did things the way they did. Let us know what you come up with and in the meantime I will Email George Anderson about this. He is quite knowledgeable about this subject I understand. Jerry Burney
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Jerry Burney
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"For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."
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