British Composite Helmets.

[Opex]

Hi Fellow collectors. Following on from my recent Pasgt/Ach contribution, here are some MK6 and Mk6A Helmets from my collection for discussion.Thanks for looking,Opex.

[Opex]

[Opex]

[Opex]

And finally I thought I would sneak this Composite Paratrooper M-76 in rather than creating a new post, again thanks for looking.

[Greg Pickersgill]

OK, I know I'm being a bit difficult, and running against the grain, but I'd always prefer pics *without* the top-dressing, as to me they all start to look the same when covered with camo and scrim. Which, I suppose, shows it works, but that's not my point! Anyway, all these compos, and I speak as a fan, can all be worryingly similar, so, strip them off, please.

(I'm not a camo cover fan, really - I always take them off the helmets I have and now they're all in a box and I don't know which is which!! One day I will send the entire box to someone like Adrian Blake and get him to ID and label them for me. Goof grief.)

Actually I do have a sensible point to make - there's no real evidence (ie - that I have seen) that the para helmet was ever designated the 'M76'. That seems to have been a bit of collectors invention at some point. They are more properly known as "Helmet, Parachutists, Light Weight' for the early versions (smooth shell, often with earliest vinyl earflaps/straps) or just "Helmet, Parachute" in later years. Unless someone can tell me differently....

And here, for light relief, is a recent pic; not the aftermath of a POW roundup, but my composite collection in a heap in the middle of the kitchen floor. Well, actually more or less filling the kitchen floor really. There was a sensible purpose to doing it at the time, honest.

[Opex]

Many thanks for looking and for your comments Greg, ironically I think helmets minus the covers look rather "samey", but each to their own. Conversely to your preferences I like covers, especially if they have the TRF , zap numbers, or blood groups affixed, It certainly helps me to narrow down which conflict the helmet has been used in.

I am amazed by your "composite stack" in the kitchen, that is one stash of helmets I would love to dig through, very impressive, and expensive!

The orange coloured helmet is rather intriguing, as is the woodland patterned example,is it from Singapore, or is it one those rare early prototype Pasgt?

Thanks again. Opex

[Greg Pickersgill]

Well, why not just collect the covers then? No, seriously, I know people who do, with much more enthusiasm than they collect helmets, which as far as they are concerned are just there to put the covers on. For me, as indicated above, covers are a damned nuisance which make proper identification unnecessarily difficult, especially on Ebay and the like when people don't seem to realise what a potential cutomer needs to know.

The orange helmet is a Canadian CG634, in the terracotta colours of the Multinational Force and Observers which operates in the Sinai, on monitoring duties. It is not a UN unit, therefore has its own livery, so to speak. Its not clear as to whether the 634 was an 'issue' helmet, or is used only by the Canadian contingent. Anyone know? (I got mine from a man in Austria, which may mean something or nothing!)

The camo-painted helmet is indeed a Singaporean C1, an early 1990s model. A number of early painted PASGT models can be seen here - Composite Helmet, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets USA helmet, AMERICAN helmets helmet, Kevlar helmet

[James C]

wow opex ,i thought i had an ocd for the humble mk6 but youve got me beat hands down ,im really impressed by your collection i think the royal irish regiment desert cammo is my favorite followed by the afghan mtp /scrimmed mk6 ,,its great comparing the different liner configurations what manufacturer are the googles on the desert cammo mk6 ,the choc chip scrimmed para lid looks great as well ,,well cards on the table i have to say im with opex on the cammo covers on or off ,to me its what makes each one individual and gives a very dull looking helmet so much character but each to there own and i can see how covers can be deemed as masking the aesthetics of the helmet,on a side note and not to go off opex's thread but greg do my eyes decieve me ,on your pile i think i can see the outline of a russian 6b7 composite ,if so do you have a spare one nice collection by the way

[Greg Pickersgill]

I certainly do not have any of the Russian composites - all far too expensive, although actually most of them easy to get if you have the cash in hand. Which I don't!

What you are probably seeing is a Slovenian Veplas helmet, used by the Slovakian armed forces (see here Composite Helmet, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets SLOVAKIA, SLOVAKIAN helmet, Kevlar helmet ) which does indeed have a slight resemblance to some of those Russian helmets.

I'm sure I've asked this before, but as this is a thread for the UK Compos - does anyone have one with a date earlier than 1983/84 ? And if so can they either post or send me a pic of the label. We sort-of established that the base date for introduction o fthe Mk6 was 1982, and the earliest I have seen is dated 1983/84. Any better offers?

[Spitace41]

Opex, did the blue UN cover come with the helmet? Its just that it seems a little too big, exactly like the one I have. Just wondering if it was a manufacturing thing or whether I have the wrong size helmet lol Cheers.