How do I tell what constitutes a combat helmet?

**Battery Command Post** · 01-26-2012, 09:18 AM

by davejb

I would suggest that the single rider may even be an MP due to the fact his m/cycle has a siren

That is actually the horn, Harleys always have them mounted on the front like that.

Rob

**davejb** · 01-26-2012, 05:48 PM

Well you can tell i'm a motor bike enthusiast, its got a wheel at each end and you sit on it

**nd1959** · 01-30-2012, 10:48 AM

Hi,

Thanks to everybody that answered my queries re: what constitutes a combat helmet.

I think I might have made an error though, as I bought the DR helmet and as TinLid said, it is very good condition. However, it is a size 6 and 1/4, which seems very small and makes me think it was for a female DR rather than a male DR. Would that seem reasonable, obviously there were lady DR's, but would they have had that type of helmet? A quick google search doesn't help confirm either way, although I can find no pictures of a lady DR waering that style of helmet.

I also bought a MKII 1943 helmet, it was not very well described so I will await it with some trepidation, although it cost less than the going amount for similar helmets.

Moreover, I also bought a Warden helmet, again this seemed a reasonable price. The ebay vendor was someone called TinLids, his listing had a link to a site called 2britishhelmets.co.uk where I found helmet pictures by someone called Aaron, is this the same TinLids that posts on here?

Any replies about the sizing of the dispatch helmet would be gratefully received...

thanks once again chaps!

**Battery Command Post** · 01-30-2012, 04:27 PM

by nd1959

I think I might have made an error though, as I bought the DR helmet and as TinLid said, it is very good condition. However, it is a size 6 and 1/4, which seems very small and makes me think it was for a female DR rather than a male DR. Would that seem reasonable, obviously there were lady DR's, but would they have had that type of helmet? A quick google search doesn't help confirm either way, although I can find no pictures of a lady DR waering that style of helmet.

I would say not necessarily for a woman. I have been collecting British headgear for 30 years and have a lot of 6 1/4 and similar size hats that were worn by male soldiers. People had small heads, you'd be surprised. Helmets were definitely worn by women, either that type or the previous 'pulp helmet' style. I don't know which one this chick is wearing, but I dont see it would help much if she got thrown wearing this outfit:

How do I tell what constitutes a combat helmet?

Looking forward to to the Mk II. You should post some pictures of the DR Helmet...

Rob

PS The bike is an Ariel W/NG 350, if anyone wanted to know...

**nd1959** · 01-30-2012, 04:49 PM

Hi Rob,

Thanks for that; kinda puts my mind at rest.

Here are the pictures of the DR helmet, and it is very clean, especially the white areas inside the helmet. Considering there are two on ebay at the moment going for £200 and £145, I am pleased with my purchase as I got it for a fraction of those prices

**davejb** · 01-30-2012, 05:02 PM

What you might have is an unissued helmet or a helmet that was issued but saw very little use for what ever reason, the fact remains that for whatever the price you paid, which according to you was a fraction of the prices listed, you have come out on top with a very nice clean helmet and there are those that only collect this type of unused item, the exterior looks used but could be normal storage scuffs etc, i for one would be well pleased with this lid as i regret selling my DR many yrs ago and never replaced it

**nd1959** · 01-30-2012, 05:17 PM

Hi Rob,

Cheers, for one of my first dabbles in the world of WW2 artefacts I am well pleased as well. I would prefer it to have been issued, as I love history for the connection I get with the past and the thought of who might have owned it. Nevertheless, I am still chuffed big-time.

So far, the 3 helmets aside, I have bought in a Small Arms Manual; a backpack (might have paid slightly over the odds for that and the seller didn't say that its back had writing on it); and 3 German letters (1941, 44 and 45) sent back to wives/girlfirends. I am slightly concerned about the latter, as I saw on here that they are easy to reproduce, although for the £1.50 I paid for each of them I wouldn't have thought it was worth anyone's while. For this month, that is it, as my darling wife has started to mumble and mutter :>)

**tinlid** · 01-30-2012, 05:45 PM

Yep the same tinlid that post here

regarding the size of your DR lid, from 1943 everyone who used a motor bike was issued with the steel DR helmet including women in the ATS.From March 1944 it was instructed that women in the ATS did not need to be issued with the steel helmet & they could use the pulp type as the steel DR helmet was deemed to heavy for women.
People in general were smaller in them days too, you've got a nice DR lid there

Aaron

**Battery Command Post** · 01-30-2012, 06:04 PM

by tinlid

from 1943 everyone who used a motor bike was issued with the steel DR helmet including women in the ATS.

Just to add info. Many DR helmets and other items of bike clothing were held in store by units for the use of occasional riders, as well as personal issues to those individuals who rode a bike in the normal course of their duties. This might also go some way to explaining the light use of many of these items. I mentioned before that an RA Field Regt had 30 bikes on its establishment, so, for example, your helmet could have spent its whole service in the Regt HQ stores in such a unit.

Rob

**tinlid** · 01-30-2012, 06:21 PM

About 10 -15 years or so ago Sabre sales had loads of mint unissued DR helmets, mostly 44/45 dated ones. Still in there cardboard boxes wrapped in paper. It is strange that wartime DR helmets were kept in storage & they were still making them in the 50's, when in that decade they became obsolete.