How to identify a North Africa MK2?

**Tommywal** · 10-04-2014, 02:55 PM

Some slightly better photos...

**Tommywal** · 10-04-2014, 02:57 PM

**Jerry B** · 10-04-2014, 04:16 PM

The one with smooth paint is not correct, the textured paint might be but hard to tell as the colour has washed out a bit in oyur pics and even if the colour is correct, it could have been painted at any date. Hard to find but look for one with a known history, it will cost more if you can find one but you will know it is correct. Mind you one of these is also on my very long wanted list!

**Tommywal** · 10-05-2014, 05:46 PM

Thanks Anon, I hear what your saying, I've been reluctant to outlay any serious money for fear of buying duffs but I guess I'll have to put my hand on my pocket at some point!

**Jerry B** · 10-05-2014, 08:03 PM

The same goes for me, one day I'll bite the bullet and buy one, but still to find a one looker.

**Shadwellarmy** · 10-07-2014, 06:45 PM

Second helmet looks like a standard army helmet where the paint has faded. Dont think it was ever a desert tan, but nice one anyway.

**davejb** · 10-08-2014, 02:10 AM

The black undercoat on your helmet just is,nt right, and is most likely a home front helmet overpainted post war, the other one really is anyones guess, i ,ve only ever seen two original North African Mk11s, which were overpainted with desert yellow and sand mixed in to reduce glare, both were named , one of them was found in a loft where my wife used to work for an old lady, unfortunately the helmet was given to the mans grandson to play with, but it was named and the old lady confirmed her husband was in the desert rats, the other was at a military fair, the striking feature about both helmets was that each still had very fine powdery sand in them mainly accumulated in and around the interior liners and under the cross members, the second helmet had provenance via the mans service record and pay book, i think this feature of remaining sand could be something to look for when trying to purchase original helmets from that campaign, especially if they are untouched and from an estate sale brought home straight from the war or if the person was wounded and another helmet was issued for home land duties