British Tanker Helmet Pick-Up

**MySonsDad** · 11-28-2012, 10:30 PM

Not a steel helmet but figured this the best place to post our latest pick-up, this British Tanker helmet. Don't know much about these, have not had time to do any digging yet. It is missing the inside crown pad, but other than that, looks pretty complete and includes some type of unit markings as well.

Regards,

Russ & Son

**Eric Zentner** · 11-28-2012, 10:36 PM

Looks like a AFV M 1973 congrats.

Eric

**davesap250** · 11-28-2012, 10:36 PM

the green spot of paint would have been put there for him to find his own helmet quickly.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 11-28-2012, 10:37 PM

One posted the other week in the Western Allies helmet forum: Nicknamed the Dan Dare helmet.

INGLS DAN DARE

Cheers, Ade.

**MySonsDad** · 11-29-2012, 12:08 AM

Thanks Eric.....

by davesap250

the green spot of paint would have been put there for him to find his own helmet quickly.

Dave, was this pretty common? What happens if everyone used the came color paint? LOL, just kidding, great info, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the link Ade, I had not made it over to the web site yet to take a look see......

Anyone have any idea what the "CMD" painted on the top indicates COMMANDER maybe, as in Tank Commander? How about the #32, unit number, tank number, no particular meaning? Any thoughts?

Regards,

Russ & Son

**MySonsDad** · 11-29-2012, 02:41 AM

After looking at the helmet closer, it appears that it is NOT missing an inner crow pad but it IS missing the CHIN STRAP!!! How in the heck did I miss that????

Oh well, it's ours now so I guess we have to go in search of the correct chin strap.

**James C** · 11-29-2012, 07:37 AM

nice find russ its definately seen a lot of action and the bonus is it came with the ear defenders a lot are missing ,im sure the crown pad and chinstrap will come along in time and if i find some you will be the first to know ,as for the markings i cant help you out ,james

**Greg Pickersgill** · 11-29-2012, 12:31 PM

Regarding the chinstrap, a lot of these Racal-Amplivox helmets lack this. Some time back I was in correspondence with an ex-Army AFV crewman who said that disposing of the strap was fairly commmon as not only was there little or no need to use the helmet off the vehicle, but also that the helmet needed to be ditched swiftly in the event of a bail-out. The strap was more nuisance than assistance.

The 'Dan Dare' nickname (not that widely used as far as I know) is derived from the classic (really) British sf comic strip of the 1950s and early 60s, featured in The Eagle - Dan Dare and the Eagle - because of a fancied resemblance between the Racal helmet and what was colloquially known as a 'space helmet'.

**MySonsDad** · 11-29-2012, 12:49 PM

Thanks James, that would be great.......

by Greg Pickersgill

Regarding the chinstrap, a lot of these Racal-Amplivox helmets lack this. Some time back I was in correspondence with an ex-Army AFV crewman who said that disposing of the strap was fairly commmon as not only was there little or no need to use the helmet off the vehicle, but also that the helmet needed to be ditched swiftly in the event of a bail-out. The strap was more nuisance than assistance.

Greg, that is a great bunch of information, in regards to the chin strap or reason for lack there of, makes perfect sense. Seems that the ear pieces would hold the helmet on pretty firm on thier own, during normal use anyway.

by Greg Pickersgill

The 'Dan Dare' nickname (not that widely used as far as I know) is derived from the classic (really) British sf comic strip of the 1950s and early 60s, featured in The Eagle - Dan Dare and the Eagle - because of a fancied resemblance between the Racal helmet and what was colloquially known as a 'space helmet'.

Again Greg, another piece of great information and history of this helmet, thanks a million.

Regards,

Russ

**ian** · 11-30-2012, 05:05 AM

this is a very early helmet and it did not have a chin strap
the later ones had a Y type chin strap held by 4 bolts
as you can see this lid does not have the bolts for a chin strap
most of us tank crews took out the chin strap any way ,,,allso the helmet shown has part of its mic cassing missing
this helmet only had a short service life ,,we got them about 1976 when clansman radios were first issued ,and they were replaced by the 2 piece roman type helmet in about 1982 ?? i dont know where the date 1973 comes from ???? clansman radio system was not in existence then ?? it was still in trials period ,,we had larcspur radios that used the number 6 mic and head set ??
cheers ian

PS i still have 3 of these at home ,new condition ,in there bags