Help Identifying Brodie Helmet

[Taylor Bailey]

Hi everyone,

I picked up a Brodie helmet in an antique shop in the UK. It is in poor condition but I am a teacher and wanted to give my students something hands on to experience during our unit of study. I am trying to look further into this helmet and identify what country it is from and perhaps the manufacturer. The chin strap attachment points make me think it is American, based on what I have come across online, though I cannot seem to identify what is stamped beside the year. I have attached photos below but this is the stamping that I can make out:

"1938"

"970"

There is also a sicker of some sort that is wearing off that says a few words I cannot make out and then "London."

Painted on the front are the initials BGC.

Any information is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Taylor

Flickr: TMacSween08's Photostream

[NCA]

Your link doesnt open for me?Its always better to upload photos directly to this site rather than links.

From your description the helmet sounds like a Home front/Civil Defense type.The initials are probably for a factory.What colour is the helmet?

1938 is the date stamp and 970 is the steel batch number.There are most likely Makers initials near these numbers also.

[Greg Pickersgill]

That is a peculiar object. For those who haven't seen the Flickr pics yet it is a Mk2 or perhaps Mk1* shell and appears to have the liner rivetted in rather than held with a nut&bolt. There is no rubber cricform crownpiece or in fact any way it could be fitted. The chinstrap lugs are unusual - fixed with apparently *very* large split rivets a l'Americain M17. the chinstrap is odd too. Apparently it is of a home-front/factory/institution use, there being a decal which is only partially legible.

Taylor, if you care up present pics here you may get more sense - though from others than I, for I am baffled! I can honestly say I have not seen such a thing before. it certainly is NOT typical of any helmet used during WW2, so not entirely useful as an object of illustration as you imply.

[tinlid]

The stamping on the shell make me feel it's British, the liner is British, a Mk1 but oddly without a hole to affix a nut & bolt? So how is the liner fixed.
It does remind me of the Mk 2's made for private purchase, the chin strap lugs are not painted & dated 38 or 39 & are fixed by split rivets.But the shells were not marked, or the ones I've seen were not marked, plus the rim join was on the side like yours.
Here's some pics of my 2 which is quite similar bar the chin strap lugs.

[plumbob]

It must have another split pin going through the top strap which we cant see the underneath of.
I have just acquired a bakerlite helmet which has the liner fixed this way, but i can see it goes through both straps on mine which i can see through the hole in the pad.
Rod