WWII HSAT MkII with repaint and unknown flash

[Jerry B]

Waiting for this to arrive, hopefully tomorrow, A shed find and hoping to get some history with it, at least to where the shed was!

The layout of the BMB markings on the liner confirm it is wartime and these were only made ion 1943 or 1944, the seller said 44 but you can't see it in the pics but I assume he is correct and could see it in the hand.

Sellers pics for now. It is an ugly greenish yellow colour overpaint, in the pics, with an a blue oblong unit flash on the left, bisecting by a diagonal white bar with a red triangle to the left/front. In the 1960's and 70's paratroopers in training used HAST helmets painted in a "custard" yellow colour and often had sub unit flashes on them with space to apply the soldiers number in chalk which seems to fit what is shown in the pics, but use by Israel has also been touted as a possible, along with suggestions of it being Suez Crisis used, but the latter sadly seems unlikely.
It has the webbing chinstraps with leather chin cup correct for this pattern of HSAT, first introduced in late 1943 and continued in use beyond HSATS and on to the Para lightweight era, with some even using NOS wartime or post war stocks for their helmets.

Hopefully when it is in the hand, some questions will be answered, in particular the colour and also the date on the liner. Also, it can be seen in the pics that it has various white painted/chalked markings inside the dome area, a number 41 is the mostly clearly seen but also a name and perhaps an army number....

[Mark K]

I really like this HSAT Jerry but I think you know that already...

Regards Mark

[Jerry B]

I really like this HSAT Jerry but I think you know that already...

Regards Mark

As do I mate, when I first saw the pics when the seller bought it, I commented on it then that I thought it was one I really liked, so I was pleased to be able to make a deal with him for it for a good price.

[Mark K]

I would be quite happy to give it some room on my shelf as well Jerry it is an interesting Mk II indeed and I do hope you can discover more about it...

Regards Mark

[Jerry B]

I would be quite happy to give it some room on my shelf as well Jerry it is an interesting Mk II indeed and I do hope you can discover more about it...

Regards Mark

That makes two of us mate, but seemingly we are in a minority here.

[Mark K]

A shame really Jerry that it did not generate more interest a fine HSAT in my eyes that is worthy of a bit more investigation and discussion..

Regards Mark

[Jerry B]

A shame really Jerry that it did not generate more interest a fine HSAT in my eyes that is worthy of a bit more investigation and discussion..

Regards Mark

So many of the posts in the British sections fall flat on their face mate with hardly any interest shown

[Composite]

here here! You'd've thought that the relatively recent "picture book" of Airborne headgear would've driven the market crazy with interest but it was not to be. But post a question about a relic FJ38 shell of questionable history and watch them flock in. The Allies WERE in the war weren't they? :-)....oh, and didn't they come out on top?


oh well.

Jerry.....hope Postie comes soon!

[Jerry B]

here here! You'd've thought that the relatively recent "picture book" of Airborne headgear would've driven the market crazy with interest but it was not to be. But post a question about a relic FJ38 shell of questionable history and watch them flock in. The Allies WERE in the war weren't they? :-)....oh, and didn't they come out on top?


oh well.

Jerry.....hope Postie comes soon!

If you posted some beat up, rotten with rust anything WWII German and watch the hordes comment on it. A strange world we live in that somehow the losers were the cool side to collect, or at least that is the case with the majority here it seems.

I used to collect TR German and I can see why it is collected, but to ignore our own history and the items used by our forces just strikes me as odd and a bit off. I don't want others to rush out to collect it, but a bit of acknowledgement when something is posted once in a while would be good to see.

This is a WWII British airborne/special forces combat helmet that continued in use for many years after the war because it was the best thing for the job until the 1970's and 80's, what is not too like.

OK, whinge over, I'll crawl back under my rock.

[M1910]

The badge could be 3rd Div who served in the Canal Zone post-war but seems like an unlikely connection unless it is Suez related.

Although I cannot currently find a picture I thought the post-war Canal Zone admin sector badge was also a stripe across a square signifying the canal.