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In World War One, seven million soldiers’ metal helmets were made by steel firms in Sheffield. Many of them were churned out by steelmaker Hadfield, which once dominated the site next to the M1 where Meadowhall Shopping Centre stands today.

When the war began the soldiers of most nations went into battle wearing cloth caps that offered no protection at all. The Roman Legionary was sent to fight with better protective headgear than the 1914 Tommy.

Once it became a defensive war fought from trenches, the soldiers needed tough protective headwear. The War Office approved a design in 1915, and shortly after decided the specified material to be used for these "tin hats" was Sir Robert Hadfield's manganese steel which was especially tough.

In early 1916, the 20 sheet mills in the Sheffield area were working flat out to complete an order for one million blanks to be worn by soldiers on the Somme.

Location: Meadowhall Shopping Centre (formerly Hadfield Steel Factory), Sheffield S9 1EP
Image of a Hadfield helmet, courtesy of Imperial War Museums
Presented by Kate Linderholm

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