Unknown mkII HELMET

[geelong]

this mkII helmet I have here, marked E & L 2 1/1939 there is no markings on the liner inside or out.
the insignia at the front of the helmet I can not work out. will this just stay a mystery?
The only thing I can think of, is the E.C.C. is this a company and the F. B. means fire brigade.
Or Essex county something fire brigade.
and would I be right in saying this helmets paint is of ww2 origins.
Also this helmet dose not have the 3 holes in the rim and is painted white inside and out.
all opinions welcome. thanks mark.

[ruddersrangers44]

Essex county council fire brigade?F/L stamped Fisher/lud something,someone will put you straight.looks like a mk1 oval pad liner but maybe a mk2 cross section.i'm not the best Brit mk2 guy Lol.

[geelong]

Essex county council fire brigade?F/L stamped Fisher/lud something,someone will put you straight.looks like a mk1 oval pad liner but maybe a mk2 cross section.i'm not the best Brit mk2 guy Lol.

thanks ruddersrangers44 the liner may have had a ink stamp in but gone now.

[Jerry B]

Some of these home front lids are for unknown bodies or firms. It would be Essex County Council or Essex Cricket Club or Electricity Company Clapham or whatever you can think of. The FB will be fire brigade. A good example.

[geelong]

Some of these home front lids are for unknown bodies or firms. It would be Essex County Council or Essex Cricket Club or Electricity Company Clapham or whatever you can think of. The FB will be fire brigade. A good example.

thank you jerry. as I thought may never no. but might have meant something to someone once. don't come across many of these down my end of the world... could be Australian civil

[Greg Pickersgill]

Essex County Council would be my bet, as that is the usual form. The F&L is Fisher and Ludlow, a Birmingham company who according to Cotton's manufacturers chart produced Mk2 shells between 1939 and 1942. The liner is a Mk1, which was introduced between the wars and would have been in early production Mk2 shells. But then as liners were easily swappable its perhaps unwise to assume a permanent connection. I know a man who is writing a book about these Home front helmets, and he is on Warrelics, so perhaps we shall hear his cheery tones telling is the true facts about 'ECCFB' soon.

[Composite]

Well...that's very nice...and it would appear to be a long way from home..

I agree that it's almost certainly a Fire Brigade helmet...but we can all argue till the cows come home and back re "ECC" until or unless someone is able to prove it. But "CC" usually represents County or City Council. White is unusual...and a wide red band usually represents rank.... White helmets were worn by senior AFS staff but with a half inch red band (and usually "AFS" too). Wider red bands were worn by senior NFS staff but they wore Silver (or "Aluminium" to be precise) coloured helmets. I'd take a punt and say this is an "Industrial" (Company, Council, Utility etc) Fire Brigade helmet, not (yet) affiliated with the NFS (else it'd be badged with the NFS star). The band appears to have been painted at two different times as the top portion is heat-damaged / bubbled. I like it....but what do I know.....

[SMP]

Looks like his rank went from leading fireman ( one thin red band ) up to company officer ( one thick red band ) . Nice helmet !

[geelong]

thank you chaps for the input on this helmet. I seen this helmet a while back and wasn't going to get it. but I had a look at here on the forum at some examples. and thought I should pick this one up. and when it gets a bit of interest. I can say to misses see it was well worth getting haha. cheers mark

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Nice helmet, and one that will be hard to identify like so many Home Front MKII's. Leon.