A trio of Canadian Mk II helmets

[Mark K]

While I was home on the Island on my days off I managed to acquire a few new lids from a little shop I frequent from time to time the owner knowing I am a collector of Canadian Mk II's was good enough to have put these lovely lids aside for me as they trickled into the shop over the last couple of months a true gentleman he is .

( 1 ) 1941 dated C.L./C. steel lot batch 29 it is sporting a nice minty 1942 dated VMC liner in a size 6 3/4 and a minty war time issued chin strap I have a few of these lids in my collection that have been brush over painted in a flat olive green which was one of the two colors that were approved by the Canadian Army during WW II to be used for repainting and refurbishing helmets
IMO it was very probably a depot refurb that never made it back into service do to the condition and as the liner retention bolt still bares the same olive green paint as the helmet body

( 2 ) Undated and stamped Canadian Mk II flashed to the ARP services it is sporting a 1942 dated VMC liner in a size of 6 1/2 and has the owners name written in the back on the interior of the helmet body near the rim ( Bob McCubbin )I have a few Mk II's flashed to the ARP in my collection but these particular helmet bodies are a bit of a mystery and are rather interesting as there is no manufacture mark date and or a steel batch code stamped to the interior of the shell all these are constructed of non magnetic Hadfield manganese steel which denotes them as combat grade shells from the way the rim ends are joined on the shell in comparison to the C.L./C and or the AG/C shells and from the later war olive khaki paint there construction can date no earlier than mid 1942 IMO these shells were produced by General Steel Wares (G.S.W.)
These helmet bodies are suspected of being rejects and unfit for use as a combat grade shell and were very probably sold to The Department Of Pensions and Health to be used by the ARP services.

( 3 ) 1941 dated G.S.W. steel lot batch Z it is sporting a 1941 dated VMC liner in a size 6 3/4 and has a nicely worn Canadian knotted two tone net that is scrimmed with brown oil cloth ( America Cloth ) a good end to the 2014 collecting year or is it


Regards Mark

[tinlid]

Nice collection of helmets, which all bring something different.

[Mark K]

Thanx Aaron a nice mixture of different producers with different finishes .

Regards Mark

[Shadwellarmy]

Nice pick up mate.

[ruddersrangers44]

Awesome buy's Markcan see why your pretty happy with this years purchases overall,luv that net.......

[James C]

a great end to 2014 for you indeed markim really fond of the ARP mk11 and how nice does the scrimmed two tone net look ,just fantastic ,the thick hand applied texture paintwork on the first example is also superb ,well done mate and i hope 2015 starts off just as well as this year ended

[Steelhead10]

Very nice and as James said a great end to 2014 for you.

[Mark K]

Many thanks Gents I have two more in the post I just do not know if they will make it here by the end of the year the old clock is ticking .

Regards Mark