post up your favorite helmet acquisition for 2015

[Mark K]

Many thanks James some lovely lids being shown here on this thread it will be interesting to see how it progresses .

Regards Mark K

[Composite]

sticking to the Composite theme....the PECOC helmet with Revision bracket was my gem for the year...shown here with non-bracket version for good measure

[James C]

Thanks for showing your favorite helmet pick up ade ,im really not familiar at all with these pecoc helmets ,whats the history behind them and were they ever fitted with dpm cover's etc oh and any referance pictures in use would be of a great help
cheers james

[Composite]

...here's a bit more info....there WERE covers (DPM and PECOC although the latter are very very rare). If the articles (attached) are still accurate the current Mk7 is/was an interim measure whilst they further develop the PECOC helmet / kit..although I suspect that may no longer be the case...but if someone knows more........

This British helmet was part of the "PECOC" (Personal Equipment Common Operating Clothing) project and presumably lost out to the Mk7. PECOC was originally scheduled for Operational Deployment in 2011 (the helmet on the right is dated 2009), having been at Assessment stage in late 2010. The intention was to replace the '95 style kit in use building on the learnings from operational theatre (presumably GW1). It looks like PECOC encompassed clothing (style and camo), load carrying equipment, helmets and light weaponry. From the outside this helmet looks like a Mk7 / MICH hybrid, being the same colour and thickness of the Mk7 but having a much steeper rear and less flared side sections. Whilst the strap is the same as the Mk7, the liner system is very different, consisting of a shaped inner skull-cap with 2 moveable Velcro-backed pads (there may have been more).....a number of inners exist.

As with all such specialist helmets, it was claimed that this one "came out of Afghanistan , having been used by US SF" - this is highly unlikely although it may have been in-theatre for evaluation purposes.

This style of helmet features in articles (see web addresses) along with new camouflage patterns (not adopted, to date at least) and it would seem that attachments (light-holders, masks etc) were planned for it.

This example was made by National Plastics....as always, the place to go re Composites is Composite Helmets, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets International Guide

Other info can be found at:-


PECOC - Soldier Systems Daily

UK MoD Unveils Future Personal Equipment and Common Operational Clothing for British Infantrymen

New british Army personal equipment (remake) - YouTube

[Steelhead10]

Some very nice helmets being posted and I only picked up 1 helmet in 2015 a Danish M48 M1 clone I will get some pics and post it soon.

Matt

[James C]

Thanks for the information and links ade a pity the design missed out to the mk7 really ,not a helmet ive ever seen on the surplus market so you did well to find two example's quite rare i imagine ,also thanks matthew the m48 sounds great so please do post it up ,out of all the m1 euro clones im still yet to bag an m48 ,last year or maybe the year before i picked up the earlier danish m41

[Steelhead10]

Finally got time to get some pics, the liner really smells.

Matt

Edit: I picked it up for 25 pounds which I don't think was too bad.

[Greg Pickersgill]

The story of the Danish M48 is interesting and somewhat confusing. What *I* believe is - that you have an example of the first liner used by the Danes for the M48 series; it is made in Denmark, and it is a bakelite-cotton composite. It is well known for its stink, especially when hot or damp, and I believe that this is one reason it had a short life in the military. I have several of these, bought all together from a Danish dealer, and the smell was evident even before I opened the box. These liners were relegated to Civil Defence (CF - Civilforsvaret) use by the end of the 1950s (?) and replaced by the more usually seen green polystyrene model (Danish-made, same as supplied to Norway for the M58).

There's a certain amount of arguing about what the first Danish shells were; some (including me) accept the idea that they were made in Denmark from magnetic steel (unusual for a combat helmet) and have a number stamped into the inside rear rim. Some believe these shells were made *only* for the CF. I'd really like to know what the true facts are.

[Steelhead10]

Thanks for the info my shell I believe is a German made one with VDN and a batch number stamped into the rim.