How do I tell what constitutes a combat helmet?

[nd1959]

Hi,

I have just started getting interested in WW2 artefacts. I would like a British helmet, as my uncle was an outrider/dispatch rider throughout the war. Firstly, there seems to be an amazing variety on ebay etc. I have seen several that are advertised as combat helemts, but have satin black paint; others have black over khaki paint...are both of these British, as I am not interested at the moment in any other allied equipment, and are they combat helmets, as in issued to combay troops?

Moreover, how do I tell which are original, confined to the 1939-45 era, and how do I tell if they are combat helmets per sa? I am have already learnt something, looking at the forum, where it clarifies that those with 3 holes drilled close together were issued for the home front....

Any advice gratefully received...

[KradSpam]

The black over khaki could be post war painted, or painted for civil use. As a rule post all possible purchases here first for everyone to look over, and you will learn as you go

Oh, and welcome to the circus.

[GIZMO8Z]

Hello nd1959,

Although I am very inexperienced when it comes to collecting British militaria, I'll pass along a few bits and bobs I've picked up in regards to British helmets...

1. Look for helmets stamped with dates that correspond with wartime dates.
Here is one on my Canadian MKII helmet (C.L./C. 1942):


2. Look for liners that are also marked with wartime dates. You can also look for an upward pointing arrow which signifies a British military acceptance mark. Here are examples on my Canadian helmet. (7 3/4 V.M.C. I 1941) (Note: British versions wont have the "C" surrounding the arrow):


Of course there were numerous factories churning out helmets and gears, so the stampings present in my Canadian lid only represent a small sample of the stampings that are out there...

3. British helmets that have holes drilled through the steel above where the chinstrap attaches ARE NOT combat helmets. These particular helmets did not pass quality control and were instead used by Civil Defense agencies

[nd1959]

Thanks for the reply, what is protocol? Do I post a picture from ebay, not sure how to do this or even if it is legal; I have received some from an ebayer to my own email addie, but again how do i post them? Or, with ebay, do I post a link, which might be usefully if, as now, there is a seller who has multiple sales due to selling a collection.

[GIZMO8Z]

Thanks for the reply, what is protocol? Do I post a picture from ebay, not sure how to do this or even if it is legal; I have received some from an ebayer to my own email addie, but again how do i post them? Or, with ebay, do I post a link, which might be usefully if, as now, there is a seller who has multiple sales due to selling a collection.

Hi nd59,

While some dealers get a little hot and bothered if you post their pictures, I believe you are totally within your rights to get opinions on the item and protect yourself as a consumer. The militaria hobby is FILLED with fakers who happily take your money and pass off their reproduction wares as the real deal. I've been lucky, but some people on this forum have been absolutely gutted after dishing out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars only to find out their new prized possession is fake!

You can post an ebay link, but once that listing ends, the link might not function properly anymore and your thread will become useless for other new collectors to reference in the future.

Your best bet for posting pictures is to click "go advanced" at the bottom of the page and use the "pictures upload" option. Then, those pictures will always be available on the forum. The directions for pictures upload are pretty simple, but feel free to ask if you have questions!

[GIZMO8Z]

A few more words of advice that every new collector should know...

You should always make purchases with this maxim in mind: "Buy the item, not the story." A lot of less than honest dealers out there will claim that their items came from famous battles or belonged to a member of a famous division, etc. By doing this, this can charge top dollar. Unless there is 100% complete proof, don't believe the stories!

[nd1959]

OK, here goes nothing as they say...hopefully this will show two piccies...

[GIZMO8Z]

If you're having trouble, here is a step by step guide to posting pics:

1. Save pictures onto your computer as jpgs. Organize them into folders and in your Pictures Library (The section in your "my documents" for pictures).

2. Click advanced at the bottom of the thread on warrelics that you'd like to post on.

3. A pop-up window should come up. In that window, click on "Add files" (it'll have a + in a green circle on it...)

4. A drop down menu will appear and at it's bottom it'll say "select files"

5. Find the pictures you want to post in the "select file(s) to upload box that pops up. You can select photos one by one, or you can click and drag to select multiple pictures at once. Click "open".

6. Click on "upload files"

7. Make sure that the photos you want have a check in the attachments section of the file upload manager popup box. You can also click and drag the pictures to arrange the order you'd like them to appear in your post.

8. When you're happy with the pictures you've selected to post and their order, click the button that says: "Insert Inline ()"

These directions make it seem really complicated... but it's pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Good luck!

[davejb]

nd1959, firstly welcome to the forum, you will enjoy it here, secondly you may be looking for the wrong type of helmet, your looking for a brodie style ie flat brimmed, the type that is synonymous with British troops of the period, but you stated that your father was a despatch and outrider throughout the war, these riders invariably wore a completely different style of helmet, similar in style to the Airborne troops helmet minus the purpose built airborne liner, the DR helmets had a liner that had a flap that covered the ears and part of the nape of the neck and came under the chin and was secured by a buckle, similar to that of a pilots leather helmet, if you google or search the forum i think you will find what i believe will be the type your looking for

[Grimebox]

Hello, You state that you want a British helmet as your uncle was a dispatch rider. Do you want a British Mk2, commonly referred to as the 'Tommy hat' or a dispatch riders helmet? They are very different helmets. In respect of 'combat helmets' the 'Tommy hats' do come in a varity of colours and markings for various forces and agencies, however, Dispatch riders helmets were mainly issued to motorcyclists. Dispatch riders helmets were usually made by BMB (although other companies made them) and should be clearly marked (unless worn/damaged) with the year of manufacture. If you do a search on War Relics member 'TinLid' you will see a variety of British helmets with all the information you should need