Para Helmet

[Steve Newman]

I have owned this helmet nearly 30 years now. it came from when, as a child, I would cycle around the local junk shops hunting for military items, many of the stores would hold stuff for me waiting for my Saturday morning visit.

This item came about in my best ever find when at one shop the old boy said something had come in.... He went out the back and came back with an old army kit bag. He said he hadnt looked through it but was full of old army junk, 'are you interested?' he asked. I replied 'I would like the bag as well' before even sorting through it and he shrugged his shoulders and said 'he wouldnt have anywhere to keep it all, you can have the bag if you buy all of it...' I paid the princely sum of £10 and somehow cycled home without killing myself dying to open the bag.

When I got home I could not believe it.

The helmet below, two Nazi daggers, two Gurkha Kukris, a lovely worn RAF peaked hat (still have) a Luftwaffe peaked cap (still have) approx 100 recruiting posters from WW1 and 2 including some real rarities of which I kept my favourites and duplicates and sold the others, some of which went for more than a £1000 each, a button box full of cap badges and so on...

Anyway have wanted to get a liner for this for years and may well do that now or do you feel it would ruin its feel?

Would welcome anyones thoughts on the helmet itself. Originally it was a light green by the look of it, over painted in a darker green which is when it got the markings on it.

Always had a soft spot for this one...

Steve

[Blackpowder44]

the formation sign on the helmet is for the Royal Artillery if the red part is to the front,if the red is to the rear it is for the Royal Engineers, John

[talltom]

i wouldn't bother with a liner it has a lot of character as it is you got a damn good deal thought £10 nice very nice

[Gary J]

Steve,
Some bad news ...
The helmet is not para, but armoured vehicle.
The chinstrap fixings being riveted, immediately rules out the para side.

Red / Blue triangle is either RA or Enginners, ... Off the top of my head, I can't remember which is which ...

Sorry about that ..

Gary J.

[Steve Newman]

Gary, dont be sorry I am always keen to learn and happy to find out the facts to be honest. The red is to the rear so a Sgt in the RE from armoured vehicles, Im sure it could tell a few stories as cant be the most common of positions!

Thanks all so far

Steve

[Datrus]

But it's a cool lid though. Like it.

[Battery Command Post]

Gary, dont be sorry I am always keen to learn and happy to find out the facts to be honest. The red is to the rear so a Sgt in the RE from armoured vehicles, Im sure it could tell a few stories as cant be the most common of positions!

Thanks all so far

Steve

That is actually a standard Royal Artillery flash. The red to the back or front thing is the Arm of Service strip worn on Battledress, not helmet flashes. Every RE helmet flash I've ever seen is a red square with two blue lines (or a variation on this).

Here's what I mean. Left is RA (504), right is RE (640):




Rob