MKI khaki colour in comparion to MK2 khaki/brown and MK3
Article about: Hello, I know there are plenty of references to helmet colours on the forum but I’ve never actually had an army MK2 in the hand, don’t remember ever seeing one (I thought they were all just
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MKI khaki colour in comparion to MK2 khaki/brown and MK3
Hello,
I know there are plenty of references to helmet colours on the forum but I’ve never actually had an army MK2 in the hand, don’t remember ever seeing one (I thought they were all just varying shades of smooth olive, thanks to Aaron I now know they weren’t) and screen settings also play a roll. After having recently bought a MK2 online where the colour looked ok(ish) in the photos but didn't upon its arrival, I thought I should ask the colour question.
I do have a couple of MKI Brodies and would like to ask how close the colour of an early wartime army MK2 is to the colour of a MKI Brodie, or are they the same?
How chocolate were the helmets during the second half of the war and were the the majority of MK3’s the same chocolate colour?
In posts 47 and 91 here British MkIII Turtle pattern helmet Aaron’s MK3 and Jerry’s both look to me as if they have the same colour as a MKI Brodie, those in post 53 look a dark, rusty brown and Roger’s first one in post 116 looks like milk chocolate, or at least it does inside.
Thanks
Tony
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Thanks for the pics.
The MK3 looks milk chocolate brown to me whereas the MK2 appears to be green/grey.
I've just bought a MK3, it arrived a couple of minutes ago. I need to take some photos but at the moment I'd say it looks like a postwar olive drab colour as neither of the above seem to match.
Tony
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Hi Tony, I know next to nothing about the Mk1 helmet, but I'm sure there are some here who know what they are talking about.
The Mk1* & Mk2, I know a little bit, Mk1* was stripped of it's WW1 paint as far as I know, then painted textured khaki green outside & smooth inside.
This would have been done 37-39 maybe into 1940 as well as some have 1940 dated liners, but not necessarily so. The Mk2 from 1938 - 41 was painted khaki green textured paint outside & smooth inside, then in 1941 until 42/43 textured inside as well. I've seen a 42 dated khaki green textured inside & out, but not a 43, being textured inside is very hard to see the dates.
1943 they went over to dark brown, there are some refurbished post war Mk2's painted dark brown which are hard to tell the difference.
But as with all the helmets Mk1*, Mk2 & Mk3 there probably was a slight variation in the colour, then the next 70+ years also plays a part too.
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Aaron, you know next to nothing about the MKI but a 'little bit' about the MKI* and MK2 I think you're being a touch modest there.
That's interesting to hear that the MKI was stripped and also a pity because that was my reference colour anyway, I've just been taking photos of my just arrived MK3 together with a MKI and will post them after I've put them on my laptop.
I'll stick the MK3 in the MK3 thread too, it's one of those MK3's with a lift the dot fitting.
Tony
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by
ynot
Thanks for the pics.
The MK3 looks milk chocolate brown to me whereas the MK2 appears to be green/grey.
Tony
Actually, the tone is more gray-brownish, smooth on the inside.
And, I wouldn't say that an olive drab color is necessarily a post war issue...
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Thanks Roger,
I think I should be able to spot an original painted late war helmet, that might not be the case with early war helmets but at least I can see they're much darker than a MKI.
Tony
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by
tinlid
Hi Tony, I know next to nothing about the Mk1 helmet, but I'm sure there are some here who know what they are talking about.
The Mk1* & Mk2, I know a little bit, Mk1* was stripped of it's WW1 paint as far as I know, then painted textured khaki green outside & smooth inside.
This would have been done 37-39 maybe into 1940 as well as some have 1940 dated liners, but not necessarily so. The Mk2 from 1938 - 41 was painted khaki green textured paint outside & smooth inside, then in 1941 until 42/43 textured inside as well. I've seen a 42 dated khaki green textured inside & out, but not a 43, being textured inside is very hard to see the dates.
1943 they went over to dark brown, there are some refurbished post war Mk2's painted dark brown which are hard to tell the difference.
But as with all the helmets Mk1*, Mk2 & Mk3 there probably was a slight variation in the colour, then the next 70+ years also plays a part too.
Leon
I have a particular interest in BEF (39/40) vehicle colours and markings and have followed this thread to understand more about the closely related subject of helmet colours. I have looked at Mike Chappell's books, Marcus Cottons' articles (though not the book he hasn't written) and several of Martin Brayley's publications, but have found very little hard information about helmet paint colour. Your posts on these threads have been extremely helpful and your summary here is exactly what I would expect to be the case for the BEF Mk I* and Mk II: Khaki Green No 3, and the use of sand textured paint also fits. I understand you have the evidence of a lot of actual helmets - have you also found any documentary evidence that ties in with this?
Andrew
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