British Airborne

[Red Devil]

I just picked this one up and would like to know what you think. The interior is a little crusty with several parts of the leather sweatband worn away. I'm guessing the chinstrap is postwar--how can one distinguish late WWII from postwar canvas? The aging on the hardware appears to match the age of the helmet liner.

Anyways, all feedback is most welcomed! I haven't removed the net that came on it, but it's a smaller pattern than I'm familiar with.
-Johannes

[tinlid]

Hi Johannes, It looks like it has been repainted on the outside, original colour is on the inside. The nuts & bolt holding in the liner look very big, as if there the Mk1 nut & bolt instead of the Mk3 which they should be. Although nice to see the white chalk line around the top pad it looks a bit contrived, the BMB & date look ok as do the liner.
Chin straps are post war as you thought, is it an original para helmet or something made up, I'm not sure.
Aaron

[Red Devil]

Hey Aaron, thank you for the reply and assessment! It appears to have only one layer of repaint on it but I might have to take the net off to check. The chalk goes under the dome pad which is pretty firmly held in place. Though I collect US items I've been fascinated with these helmets and glad to have an example that must have seen some interesting use in the decades these continued to be used since the War. Thank you again!
-Johannes

[davejb]

hi ,dont forget that these helmets were used by British airborne troops well into the late 70s , the exterior was repainted but in most cases the interior including the liner were left as is providing the leather was servicable and the webbing was intact and strong, also a later chin strap was affixed and could be worn with a modern type netting

[Gary J]

Examples of BMB Para lids have been noted with dates up to 1954.
(Probably when Briggs Motor Bodies reverted to car panel manufacture).

Gary J.

[reneblacky]

Shame the date is not visible, could it be deliberate? hard to tell

[tinlid]

The style of the date maker name are correct for 43/44 dated HSAT. Just depends if the liner is from another helmet with the date of 41 from a Zuckerman or from a 45 dated HSRD which I have seen done.

[tinlid]

Gary, they started making the HSAT again in the early 50's, but the style of date maker was different, as it was for the HSDR which they made through the 40's & into the 50's.
Here's some pics.

[Red Devil]

Good morning and thank you for the discussion and examples posted.

In closer inspection a partial digit can be seen in the leather remnants (I did not try to straighten the layers out because they're fragile). Looks like the rounded bottom of a 3, 6, or 8 to me.

[Jerry B]

Anything other than a 3 would make it post war.