Louis Adrian

Auguste Louis Adrian (29 August 1859 – 8 August 1933) was a French Army officer. His early career was spent as an engineer building military infrastructure in France and Madagascar. In 1898, he was appointed an instructor in military logistics, and in 1907, he was appointed director of supplies with a remit to reduce corruption in the supply chain. Fatigued by this role, he retired in 1913. Adrian returned to the army at the start of the First World War and helped organise the taxis used to ferry reinforcements to the First Battle of the Marne. He was later assigned responsibility for military clothing and helped supply winter uniforms and armour for soldiers. This included a metal skull cap to be worn under the kepi. Adrian developed the skull cap into the Adrian helmet, which played an important role in reducing head injuries during trench warfare. Late in the war, Adrian helped to triangulate the locations of the Paris guns used by Germany to bombard the French capital. He finally retired in 1920.