Mk3 with original net

**tinlid** · 04-21-2013, 05:13 PM

Here's a khaki green painted Mk3 which I think the first issues must have been painted before the more common dark brown.
It has it's original light green net which has one or two breaks & the knots near to crown of the helmet have been worn flat by constant use. Inside paint & liner are in very good condition as is the chin strap, due to the heavy textured paint inside the date/maker name are not readable but it is a BMB made shell.
The liner is dated 1944, made by CCL & is a size 6 3/4.

**James C** · 04-21-2013, 05:31 PM

very nice tinlid ,she's a beaut

**canti44** · 04-21-2013, 07:05 PM

Hi Tinlid,

did you pick this one up from Gumtree recently? If so I was looking at this myself and posted it on a thread here. It's very nice but I decided on keeping the money for a really good Mk 2. For some reason the chap on Gumtree wouldn't remove the net for a pic and it kind of put me off.

**CSM Gray** · 04-21-2013, 07:14 PM

love this helmet wish I could afford it.

**tinlid** · 04-21-2013, 07:52 PM

Hi Canti44, Yes it was on Gumtree, I was expecting it to be painted dark brown when it came,(pictures not great) & was very surprised that it was khaki green, & again surprised that the net was original to the helmet. Just lucky I guess.

**canti44** · 04-21-2013, 09:13 PM

Hi tinlid,

yes I was very close to buying it myself and had been doing a bit of research prior on here. It looked brown to me too and I was a bit annoyed that the seller wouldn't take the net off for a better picture of the paintwork. Good for you for taking the plunge, you've got a really nice example there and one similar just sold on e-bay for £230!

Cheers,

Ian.

**tinlid** · 04-22-2013, 04:42 PM

I know during the early to mid 50's the paint was changed to olive drab & when I opened the box my heart sank as I thought it was that colour, but luckily it was khaki green. That one that went for £230 on ebay, I wasn't 100% sure that it was khaki green, but might have been a well used helmet painted olive drab.

**canti44** · 04-22-2013, 05:06 PM

How much difference is there in the two colours? I suppose without handling the variations it's almost impossible to tell from photographs unless they are taken side-by-side in daylight. I'm presuming that the khaki is a little brighter and the olive-drab a tad more 'earthy'?

**tinlid** · 04-22-2013, 05:52 PM

Here's an olive drab Mk3 against an dark brown painted Mk3. The one with the RA flash is painted OD outside but still has the original dark brown inside.

**canti44** · 04-22-2013, 06:44 PM

Brilliant display tinlid, thanks for posting them.

Ok, so you have a brown Mk3 next to an olive-drab Mk3. Can you put your newly-acquired khaki Mk3 next to those two so I can get a good picture please? Correct me if I'm wrong but originally in 1944 they were given to assault troops for the D-Day landings and painted khaki. Soon after that they were painted dark brown, and after the war ended painted olive-drab?