British MK6 /MK6 A Helmet Covers

**reneblacky** · 03-09-2019, 01:06 AM

Mid 80's Mk6 cover Compo so greatly helped me acquire Cheer Mate

Chucky & Mo are not allowed around this one!

**brickie501** · 03-09-2019, 09:24 PM

by James C

Hi Ade and yes i agree ,i now wonder when the mk6 was officially phased out

by Watchdog

Yes there certainly is and many units / pers never got the Mk6A at all and went straight to Mk7.

The helmet thing is just like many other issue process when new kit comes on line. "Teeth Arms" (Inf / Cav / Arty) first followed by supporting arms and services but also support units with pressing need such as operational deployment may circumvent the process with relevant authority being raised and so leapfrog some "Teeth Arms" units. These two "strands" of need if you like can also be intermingled. EG during the inital Op Granby (liberation of Kuwait) deployment there were units with 5.56mm SA80 rifles as well as with L1A1 7.62mm SLR and 9mm SMG both of which were replaced by SA80. A logistics nightmare!

Bear in mind also that the Mk6A was never intended to replace the Mk6 fully. It was a stop gap item issued where the enhanced properties it offered were most needed. When the Mk7 was first issued the same supply priorities applied. As for the late manufacture Mk6, I don't know for sure as I have been out of the service for too long but my best guess would be this is a matter of contract fulfillment versus cancellation penalties. When contracts were taken up there would be a supply level agreement to take a certain number of pieces over a certain time frame. Usually called a "call off contract" ie the service doesn't want and the supplier couldn't provide a million items all in one go. Rather re-stocks are "called off" the contract total when required but within the agreed contract period. It wouldn't be possible to suddenly say to a contractor "no more thanks, we've got a better deal" without incurring penalties. Plus while an item is still in even limited service there is a need to keep maintenance stocks. All this is what gives us the fairly heathy surplus market we all love so much! It is also a similar concept to that in the civilian world of contract and supply that operates on the principle of "Just enough, just in time" which is so detested by field units the world over (everybody's doin' it!!).

Let's not even go there with covers. Think about MTP covers for Mk6 helmets forced onto Mk7's before the Mk7 specific covers appeared!
I hope this gives some insight into what might be the situation here but I think that whilst a definitive explanation might be out there it will come from multiple roots and will be a hell of a job to tabulate.

Unless there is a gifted researcher out there inclined to write a book on the subject, then, maybe

Regards

Mark

^This about covers it!

However, just to add to the task of said 'gifted researcher', at one point I myself was issued both a Mk6 & a Mk6A at the same time!

I honestly cannot remember if that was for Iraq or Afghanistan but the personal issue helmet on my "1157" was a GS Mk6 while the Mk6A was issued for the duration of deployment only & destined to be handed back.

I think it must have been for Afghanistan as I don't recall actually handing Mk6A in on my return … presumably because it had become standard issue in the interim. Being a Combat Service Support type, we may have been towards the end of general 6A fielding, on the basis above. However, I was in part of 16 Air Assault Brigade so Mark's "intermingled strands" discussion could have come into it.

In fact I'm increasingly sure it was Afghanistan because some folk in my unit (who would venture 'outside the wire' more regularly) received Mk7s on the same basis (that, at least, must have been Op HERRICK because Mk7s weren't around when I did Iraq)

So, if I've recalled the correct Operation when this all happened, that would put wider Mk6 to Mk6A changeover in late 2010 to early 2011!

by Composite

There MUST be something official which said when Mk6As became THE helmet ....tho I suspect a lot was down to the "who" rather than the "when"......so the actual "when" will be dependant on the "who".......

Indeed. Can't recall seeing document though, just no longer needing to hand 6A back. For the 'temporary requirement' it would almost certainly have been a detail in the 'Operation Mounting Instruction'.

**James C** · 03-10-2019, 09:45 AM

Many thanks Brickie for your valued contribution to this thread, i appreciate it

**brickie501** · 03-10-2019, 11:21 AM

You are welcome!

I wasn't as interested in preserving military history when I joined up … but I think, if you have any such tendency early on, you become more inclined that way as you get older!

I'm happy to recount a few experiences for anyone into the subject / militaria collecting. Unfortunately, going forward, I don't think it will be as easy to research more recent times (since the digital age). Documents won't come into the public domain in large numbers now they just get 'published' on Defence Intranet for staff to go looking for … once they are no longer considered sensitive the public might be able to go looking in some 'data warehouse' … but trying to understand 'transitions' (as threads like this do) won't be easy unless someone thought to save each document version; & I've noticed that not being done as rigorously as it was with 'hard copy'

In that spirit, its probably not that relevant because the Mk6A is well 'on its way out', & chances of its use on a small operational scale are pretty slim, but I've highlighted on the DPM Thread that Desert DPM may actually still be considered In Service!

**James C** · 03-10-2019, 04:12 PM

Here is a Gs Mk6 i picked up a last year ,Afghanistan used and was surprised to see the date issued which would be put it from the 1990/91 persian gulf war period so a long service history indeed

**Composite** · 03-25-2019, 04:55 PM

So far I THINK the makers we've had (of Mk6 covers) are:-

Supercraft garments
Dashmore Clothing
Compton Webb
Jeltak Weatherguard
Cookson & Clegg
Total Safety Ltd
Remploy Ltd
Manclark & Son Ltd
Cooneen Watts & Stone Ltd (and Cooneen Defence Ltd)

....any more?

**Redstalker** · 04-03-2019, 04:17 PM

Been looking for one of these for UN covers for a Mk6 for ages. It didn’t have a silly price tag and appears to have been used so big pluses all round. With the contract number putting this one round the early 1990s possibility used in the Yugoslav civil war

**Redstalker** · 05-11-2019, 05:34 PM

Hi James been trying for 3 days to post up that new Mk6 with the two bander but it’s not letting me. I’ve tried on two different iPads and nothing working. Tried to message you as well but the system wouldn’t let me. Catch you later mate

**Redstalker** · 05-14-2019, 11:28 AM

The cover is a two banded type and made by Cookson & Clegg Ltd and the code CT4B/1175 puts this one to the early 1980s. This cover came fitted to the this early Mk6. The cover has faded writing of Woody Ward which matches the name written in the helmets label. The helmet is an early Mk6 with smooth shiny shell and missing the hole above the plastic green rivet for fitting a riot shield and probably a trials helmet. Made by NP Coventry and dated 1984.
Thanks for looking guys

**Composite** · 11-18-2019, 10:25 AM

Rummaging through bins'n'boxes at Malvern Fair I came across our old friend the "waterproof-gortex-like-DPM-unofficial-elasticated-edge-not-sure-what-it-was-made-for" cover...or the WGLDUEENSWIWMF Cover. BUT I simply cannot get it to fit a 6 (Medium) tho it slips onto a 5 with ease....perhaps it was just made for a SMALL 6?? no labels or owt as per........