ICM Brewster Body Shield, US Infantry

In 1917, Guy Otis Brewster, an American gunsmith from New Jersey, developed a portable armour to protect soldiers from small arms fire, which became known in history as "Brewster Armor." This set included a large shield-shaped body plate and a heavy helmet. The body plate was secured with shoulder straps and featured a type of cushioning padding. The helmet was equipped with adjustable eye shields. The thickness of the armour was 5.5 mm and was designed, according to Brewster's vision, to reliably protect soldiers from the effects of small arms fire. In April 1917, this unusual protection was tested, with the inventor himself testing it on his own body. Initially, the armour was struck with a sledgehammer, and then Brewster stood in front of a machine gun while several rounds were fired at him. The tests were successful, and Brewster himself reported that the effects of machine gun fire were only one-tenth of the shock he experienced from a blow with the sledgehammer.