Four Panel Canadian Medics Helmet

**Mark K** · 02-04-2015, 04:19 PM

One of my morning rituals is to check new listings on E-bay and specific dealer sights every morning while I have my morning coffee before work and so a few weeks back while checking through E-bay low and behold I found this Mk II had just been listed for sale with a $50 GBP starting price with no bids it was listed as a WW II TYPE RAMC HELMET with no further description from the seller it was apparent by the images posted on E-Bay that the helmet body,chinstrap and liner were indeed that of a Canadian Mk II he had listed for sale .
I immediately sent of two e-mails one to a friend and fellow collector that has a fairly mint unissued four panel medic helmet in his private collection that I have been trying to talk him out of for some time now and one to the seller and asked him what he needed out of the deal he informed me of what his expectations were and so we struck up a deal and he pulled the listing from E-bay .
This particular Mk II struck a cord in me it was like a light bulb had been turned on as I thought it looked dam familiar and was possibly one of three helmets that is thought to have came out of a crate that was found in the US a number of years back .
Two of which were acquired by a friend and fellow collector and his companion while they were traveling in the US I knew there was speculation the third helmet had found it's way into the market place It was not till much later in the day that my friend was was able to reply.
Mark,
If you can buy this helmet, DO IT! I know this one, where it came from and will explain in detail tomorrow. It is the brother to mine .
By this time the deal had already been done and I wrote him another email to inform him I had purchased this Mk II based on my own gut feelings as well as from the many detailed conversations and images he had sent me some time ago while discussing his four panel Mk II medics helmet the next morning he relayed how the helmets were found and by whom.
Hi Mark,
This is the missing third helmet that came out of the same lot as mine. The fellow who found them in a crate is an eccentric collector/dealer in Montana whom I've since become friends with.
In short, he found three helmet bodies mint in the crate, one sold on E-Bay (yours I suspect), I got one and my friend Terry got the third).
I know as a collector to never buy the story and that an item should be judged on it's own merits this particular Canadian Mk II was produced by C.L./C. and is dated to 1943 steel lot batch number 103 it is sporting a 1942 dated VMC liner in 6 3/4 and has a wartime era issued Canadian chinstrap that is nicely C-/l\ marked the white circlets do show definite yellowing age and discoloration with a few small nicks scratches and scuffs in the paint and the light tell tale signs of helmet stacking on the one side wear it would appear another helmet had been sitting on it for some time please pardon the images gents these are the best I can do till I am able to bring it outside to shoot in Natural day light by far this has been one of the hardest helmets I have ever tried to photograph do to the white in the circlets it is very hard to find a happy medium with no glare I would be happy to get some thought and or opinions from the rest of you gents on this particular Mk II as I fully expect it to be controversial due to the condition and the type of helmet that it is as there are few known war time examples and they are widely faked.

Regards Mark K

**Steelhead10** · 02-04-2015, 04:53 PM

Very nice Mark and a very rare helmet by the sounds of it

and I see you ajusted your signature

**Shadwellarmy** · 02-04-2015, 05:07 PM

Congrats Mark, you really deserved this helmet.

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 02-04-2015, 06:51 PM

Hi Mark, that helmet is in stunning condition! As you have a known "trace" on it's origins the superb condition would not have put me off either. That said if this were from an unknown source with no provenance I guess both you and me would have walked away as these medic lids are a real minefield. Well done mate, you deserve this great helmet in your collection, now we can both "break out the band aid" and wear our Medic helmets in front of the TV!! Leon.

**James C** · 02-04-2015, 07:53 PM

very nice mark ,well done mate

**ruddersrangers44** · 02-04-2015, 08:05 PM

My oh my oh my,is that really a 70 year old Helmet?I like most would seriously doubt its authenticity,just on the pure new look to it,however if the story and source is indeed 100% correct,then I think you've struck the Helmet of the year maybe even the decade,so a massive congrats from me Bud,you I think deserve it as you passion for this iconic Canadian wartime Lid is so close to your heart,and endless commitment shines on so many other collectors,your a credit Mark to this forum and well enough said I think.(just relieved it isn't a four panelled medic m1),then i might be licking me wounds right about now............

**Mark K** · 02-05-2015, 02:37 AM

Many thanks Gents for your replies and Leon and Jake I could not agree with the both of you more if I did not have prior knowledge of these three particular Mk II's I would have very likely have walked away do to the overall unissued condition of this helmet but there were as well a couple of tells that I knew of that tied this helmet to the other two that reside in private collections here in Canada
I have six 70 odd year old minty Canadian Mk II's one HSAT and a couple of fairly minty Canadian unissued HSDR's and a US M-1 in my collection so this phenomena is not unheard of and minty Canadian Mk II's do come up for sale quite regularly hear in Canada and are for the most part 1942 dated C.L./C's .
The odd time one must take a chance so believe me when I tell you I was sweating bullets till being contacted by my friend later in the day and only then could I breath a little easier with his assurance that it was one of the three in question.
I have walked away from more medic lids over the last 20 odd years of collecting than I can even count as they just did not look or feel right there was just something about this particular Mk II that made it stand out away from the others

Regards Mark

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 02-05-2015, 07:30 AM

by Mark K

Many thanks Gents for your replies and Leon and Jake I could not agree with the both of you more if I did not have prior knowledge of these three particular Mk II's I would have very likely have walked away do to the overall unissued condition of this helmet but there were as well a couple of tells that I knew of that tied this helmet to the other two that reside in private collections here in Canada
I have six 70 odd year old minty Canadian Mk II's one HSAT and a couple of fairly minty Canadian unissued HSDR's and a US M-1 in my collection so this phenomena is not unheard of and minty Canadian Mk II's do come up for sale quite regularly hear in Canada and are for the most part 1942 dated C.L./C's .
The odd time one must take a chance so believe me when I tell you I was sweating bullets till being contacted by my friend later in the day and only then could I breath a little easier with his assurance that it was one of the three in question.
I have walked away from more medic lids over the last 20 odd years of collecting than I can even count as they just did not look or feel right there was just something about this particular Mk II that made it stand out away from the others

Regards Mark

It's great when it all comes together, you sure know your stuff Mark and when you "bit the bullet" all those years of study and patience paid off! The icing on the cake is the "time line" connecting it to it's brothers. Leon.