British Army WW2 Airborne Helmet ???????

[oldthings]

Depends if you are after an untouched ww2 issue HSAT, about £600-700. Or you are happy with an ww2 issue HSAT, that has had a life post war, which in this case is nice with the engineers connection, probably £400-500.

One of the names in it is david Lloyd he enlisted into B company 12/13 battalion Regiment in june 1958.and discharged in 1962..

[Watchdog]

A nice well marked helmet. A point to note is that with British steel helmets (not the modern composite types which are personal issue once only) it has always been usual for a helmet to have had more than one owner during its' service life as steel helmets have tended to be "unit stores" rather than permanent individual issue and this is especially true of HSAT. In this particular item I note the abbreviation RHA although I can't make out that which will be a number in front of it, which refers to The Royal Horse Artillery (distinct from The Royal Artillery) which still has an airborne regiment to this day (7RHA). I think I can see a reference to "203 Squadron" but that doesn't ring a bell with me I'm afraid except for a RAF Squadron but that doesn't fit. My own HSAT in 1975 pre-dated my enlistment by some 20 years and the liners in these were never changed unless damaged and unserviceable.

The paint is typical and looks to me to have black camouflage pattern added. This is also indicative of Territorial Army practice (I never saw it in Regular Army units) and of course 131 SQN RE has always been a Territorial Army unit (similar to US National Guard). It still exists as 131 Commando Squadron RE and supports 3 Commando Brigade. It is quite likely that this helmet remained in service until the advent of the lighweight composite helmet of the 1974 pattern and therefore with 131 being a reserve unit possibly into the early '80s. So, quite a long career for this one! With that in mind the chinstrap is very unlikely to be the original but this does not detract IMO as they remained identical with no pattern changes save for brass hardware changing to steel in some batches.

I hope this adds a little interest to this item.

Regards

Mark

[oldthings]

A nice well marked helmet. A point to note is that with British steel helmets (not the modern composite types which are personal issue once only) it has always been usual for a helmet to have had more than one owner during its' service life as steel helmets have tended to be "unit stores" rather than permanent individual issue and this is especially true of HSAT. In this particular item I note the abbreviation RHA although I can't make out that which will be a number in front of it, which refers to The Royal Horse Artillery (distinct from The Royal Artillery) which still has an airborne regiment to this day (7RHA). I think I can see a reference to "203 Squadron" but that doesn't ring a bell with me I'm afraid except for a RAF Squadron but that doesn't fit. My own HSAT in 1975 pre-dated my enlistment by some 20 years and the liners in these were never changed unless damaged and unserviceable.

The paint is typical and looks to me to have black camouflage pattern added. This is also indicative of Territorial Army practice (I never saw it in Regular Army units) and of course 131 SQN RE has always been a Territorial Army unit (similar to US National Guard). It still exists as 131 Commando Squadron RE and supports 3 Commando Brigade. It is quite likely that this helmet remained in service until the advent of the lighweight composite helmet of the 1974 pattern and therefore with 131 being a reserve unit possibly into the early '80s. So, quite a long career for this one! With that in mind the chinstrap is very unlikely to be the original but this does not detract IMO as they remained identical with no pattern changes save for brass hardware changing to steel in some batches.

I hope this adds a little interest to this item.

Regards

Mark

hi thats lots of good info. i have been looking at this for some time its for sale here in new zealand.$1000 nz about $650 us.i do not know to buy it or not i do think it is very nice.but will have to think on it a bit more..as been buying lots lol.have no $$ soon....lol..