British Helmet WW2 any more info please..

[mikel wallaart]

I have had this helmet for quite sometime but don´t know much about it. More info about this helmet would be great!

Thanks!

[Eric Zentner]

Looks like a MkII Brodie helmet as issued to the ARP (Air Raid Precutions) Wardens during the Blitz period in Britain.

Eric

[tinlid]

At first I thought it was an early MkII, but look how the brim is narrow & then wide in places giving me the impression it's a MkI refured in 37/38 for use in the 2nd WW.
Aaron

[Eric Zentner]

Could be they look close.

[Battery Command Post]

I can't help thinking it might be an RAF helmet. Colour looks distinctly blue-grey to me, though it could be the photo.

Rob

[gbalke]

I can't help thinking it might be an RAF helmet. Colour looks distinctly blue-grey to me, though it could be the photo.

Rob

That's exactly what entered my mind when I first saw the top view photo.

[noelh]

To me it looks like a Mk1 as tinlid suggests with the varying brim width. I have one in my collection and it looks just like it. If you have a MkII you can match them up and see it has a slightly wider brim. Another clue is the remains of the leather strap which is again characteristic of a Mk1. Assuming it is leather, if not it could be the remains of the replacement liner, although it seems to be riveted in place? The strap attachment points on the original were held with split pin rivets but they were clearly replaced when they were converted just before the war. The date 1938 confirms that.

Also the colour looks to me to be 'Tundra Green' which is typical of use by the fire service during the war. It's hard to tell though from the photos. I have a Tundra Green MkII helmet and it looks very similar. An RAF helmet would be a bluer grey I would think.

Are there any markings under the brim, that would confirm it as a late war MkI.

In conclusion, I suggest it's a WW1 Mk1 converted and repainted for use in the Fire Service.

[joseph barrett]

Its a bit strange why leave on a WW1 leather chin strap and then add MK11 chin strap lugs which was specifically designed for the MK.11 chin strap, when MK.1 helmets were refurbished and became MK.1* the leather chins straps were replaced by MK.1 chin straps attached to MK.1 chin strap lugs, if it was not for the remains of the leather chin strap I would have said it was a MK.11 helmet but as it is its a bit of an anomaly?

[gbalke]

Look closer at the second photo. I don't believe that is a remnent of a chin strap. It appears that it might be attached to the center of the shell. Also notice the "shadow" of another similar piece perpendicular to this piece. Could this be part of a liner? Of course I could be waty off in my observation and that strap could just have been placed in that position for the photo!

Mikel, is that leather strap attached to the shell?

[tinlid]

I would have thought it was 1 of the remains of the cross over straps of the liner.