Relic HSAT MkII

[Jerry B]

A buy it now from ebay, HSAT MkII with textured brown interior paint and textured dark green exterior paint, the latter I think is a post war repaint and the former is the original late war (1944/5) paint. Many were repainted post war, some many times as they were used until the 1980's by the British but also saw service with other nations around the world. There is no sign of the obvious makers and date marks you see on post war 1950's made shells so I am convinced from that and the interior paint that it is a wartime manufactured and issued example with post war reuse.
It has obviously suffered some fairly severe damage to the dome at some stage which is probably the last use it saw and it has been stripped of all its fittings, the liner and straps etc, but IMO will still display very well as it is and unless I could find a tatty wartime liner I am unlikely to restore it, though I could get a 1950's liner and chinstrap for it from the Ebay and I might change my mind on that, in fact as I type this I am already thinking that might the way to go.....as it obviously had an external repaint in the 1950's and might well have had the rest changed then as well. Getting the chinstrap mounting lugs might be harder to do, which unless I can get them it is pointless getting the other bits.

If only it could tell how, where and why it was damaged.....

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Maybe it's seen a bit of close quarters action in N I... the Para's had a habit of straying into other unit area's and stirring up a bit of bother!

[Jerry B]

Maybe it's seen a bit of close quarters action in N I... the Para's had a habit of straying into other unit area's and stirring up a bit of bother!

Been out clubbing in it.

[James C]

Great relic shell Jerry and still retaining a good amount of texture paintwork too thanks for sharing

[Jerry B]

Great relic shell Jerry and still retaining a good amount of texture paintwork too thanks for sharing

Indeed James, it must have about at least 80% of its textured paint. Just trying to decide if it is late war or post war repaint? Perhaps the latter but it looks great and displays well, if only it could talk.

[FallschirmWomble]

I'd be seriously tempted to panel beat that back into shape. In fact, I would...

I think it's worth restoring, even if you don't bash it back into shape. With a scrimmed up net fitted, the dents would be unlikely to be noticeable.

Back in the early 1980s, I vaguely remember someone on my cadre being issued a similarly dented helmet. I wouldn't be surprised if it's just bored, in-unit vandalism. Depot PARA staff used to demo the power of blanks and thunderflashes before recruits were allowed to touch the things.

A firm favourite was to light a thunderflash and put the "battle bowler" on it. Then watch the thing get blown up high into the air.