A friend of mine questioned whether it is British. I doubt it since it was made in Pittsburgh, Pa. by Acme Protection. I say it's some sort of construction/miners type lid.
Here is a brief discussion about this type, which points out that the liner is different that that of the Brodie helmets:Police Marked Steel Helmet - STEEL AND KEVLAR HELMETS - U.S. Militaria Forum
So, as you're suggesting, likely not for US military use. And as of yet I haven't seen that Acme was a supplier to Britain during WWI (as I think you know, noting that you're well versed in these from past discussions).
But the Brodies are still in use today in parts of the world, leaving a long span... I don't think I'm helping
Sounds like a Civil Defense helmet. I can not get the smaller pictures to open in order to see the liner. The Civil Defense ones have a deeper bowl than the military ones.