Need help identifying pith helmet

[MG42]

Apparently belonged to captain Eric Herd of the Gurkha's.




Side showing moisture damage or what could be blood


Unknown emblem, maybe Victoria Cross outline?

The above label reads "imperial hat works Bangalore" with a "by appointment" and queen's coat of arms above.

smaller label in middle reads "compressed pith"

[Jerry B]

India pattern pith helmet, also called by some a "Bombay Bowler". Not sure on what the flash is for. Is the trim to the puggaree blue? It certainly looks period and made in India is also correct.

[MG42]

I think it's more green than blue.

[Jerry B]

I think it's more green than blue.

Cool, it was just that a blue trim usually indicates Navy, so that is good. Looks good, what is the history on the owner, Capt Eric Herd?

[MG42]

The seller said that he got a first at Cambridge then went to RMA Sandhurst where he trained as a captain. He then proceeded to join the Gurkha regiment where he was apparently deployed to Africa where he picked this up from a German Afrika Korps soldier as a war souvenir.
Personally I didn't think Gurkha's served in Africa but any one is welcome to correct me.
On a side note could anyone identify the nationality of pith helmet??

[Jerry B]

It's a private purchase made in India and this type were issued to the British and Commonwealth forces. So very unlikely he captured it from a DAK soldier.


A total of 250,280 Gurkhas served during the war, in almost all theatres. In addition to keeping peace in India, Gurkhas fought in Syria, North Africa, Italy, Greece and against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, northeast India and also Singapore. They did so with considerable distinction, earning 2,734 bravery awards in the process and suffering around 32,000 casualties in all theatres.[from wikipedia]

[Patgore]

Indian pre 1947.

Bangalore is in India and from what I can see, the maker's label is very "Imperial".

Nice lid.

Gurkhas are riflemen. Green trim would be correct.

Sandhurst trains 2Lts, not captains.

Movement from Sandhurst to Cambridge would be much more plausible than vice-versa.

[MG42]

Thanks for the info guys, does anyone have any clue as to what the symbol on the side is?

[Patgore]

To the best of my knowledge no Gurkha regiment, in either Indian or British Armies, used the Maltese Cross, as shown.

However the Garhwal Rifles (since 1947 in the Indian Service) did use a badge of this shape, copying the familiar badge of the British Rifle regiments.

Is it possible that your chap was Garhwal Rifles...not Gurkha? The Garhwalis served in Eqypt, Iraq, Eritrea, Abyssinia, etc. during WW2.

The British establishment didn't much like the Garhwalis as a detachment of the regiment refused to massacre some nationalist protesters in Peshawur (I think) in 1930.

Pat

[MG42]

Could be possible but would they use a pith helmet at all?