Regina Rifles MkIII - Actual D-Day Worn Helmet

**mk1rceme** · 12-29-2011, 03:53 AM

This is one of two Regina Rifles MkIII's that I own...unfortunately this is the only one with info concerning the original owner. I got this one from a friend in Saskatchewan who was organizing his Fathers farm for an estate sale.

All my friends know that I'm an avid collector so luckily he recognized it as something military related before the scrap guys showed up for all the metal...apparently it was sitting in a scrap metal pile for a few weeks before he noticed it

When I got it, it did not have a chinstrap and the liner bolt was all that was salvageable from the inside. I added the correct chinstrap, liner, and crosspad to complete it for display.

From there I began the search for the man who painted his service number an name on the inside rim. He did show up on the Legion last call database, and with a tip from a fellow collector, he was also found on the Regina Rifles nominal roll. This one was interesting since it indicated that he landed on D-Day and was wounded. Needless to say I was ecstatic.

Recently I was able to contact the Daughter of Mr. Wagner and I was able to find out more about him. One day I plan to take a trip to Saskatchewan so she can see the helmet in person...and perhaps get a period picture of him.

**tinlid** · 12-29-2011, 09:15 AM

Helmets with a flash on are getting harder to find these days but to find out about the owner just can't get any better.

I'm green with envy, well done.
Aaron

**Adrian Stevenson** · 12-29-2011, 11:25 AM

What an excellent find! Well done!

Cheers, Ade.

**mk1rceme** · 12-30-2011, 02:39 AM

Thanks guy's! This one is a treat for sure. I like the division patch on this one...the helmet has a fairly thick coat of sand and it was scraped down to paint it onto a smoother surface. Looks like the painted name was done like this as well.

Looking further into the reginarifles.ca website, I've found more info about Mr. Wagner...

-Embarked in UK, 3 June 1944. Disembarked France, 6 June 1944

-Battalion Casualty List - 1st Bn. Regina Rifles - Rfn. L64071 Wagner, John - Wounded 09 Jun 1944 and became a prisoner of war - Released 29 April 1945

Mr. Wagner had a pretty short war, but what really confuses me is how his helmet got back to Saskatchewan. Family members do not remember the helmet being in his possession after the war. Odd why it wasn't reissued after it was collected? Stranger things have happened I guess.

**HoovieDude** · 12-30-2011, 07:26 AM

Dale, nice Regina lid! I've always had a huge interest in the WW2 Commonwealth kit, and used to model various figures in my 1:6 scale days. Have seriously considered dipping into the 1:1 side of it, but always find myself sticking to my GI items. Mainly because of $$ limitations and space. Still, seeing this really tempts me.

I hope this isn't inappropriate, and apologies if I am hijacking your thread, but you can see most of my old collection that I had built up over the years. I've sold off the majority in the last couple years to fund my 1:1 habit..