Siam helmet? Is it Original?

[kuruming]

I found a helmet in internet.
Seller says that it is Siam helmet.
I have no knowledge about Siam army.
Is it original helmet? or fake?
It is like WW2 Japanese helmet.

[SHINDENKAI]

Looks like a Type 30-32 Siamese (Thailand) Helmet.

They also have French Adrian helmet with the same badge on.

Regards,
Taka

[lebus12]

It's a Japonese helmet typ 90, used after the war.
Please the mouse on the helmet.

.: World War Helmets - Thaïlande :.

[cammobunker]

Yes, I've seen these before, and this looks like an unused example. I don't think anyone is faking these. It's basically a Japanese Tetsu-Bo with French Adrian style liner suspension and liner added post-war. When the Japanese army left Siam (now known as Thailand) they left considerable numbers of Tetsu-Bo and the Thai army re-used them. Considering the problems with the original helmet liner, the Adrian style liner and better chinstrap is probably a huge improvement in stability and comfort.
If the price is right snatch it up, I would.

[SteveR]

It is a cool looking helmet.

[James C]

very nice example you can see where the original liner rivits were just in front of the refitted liner ,if your in any doubt to originally ,inspect the rear inside rim for the kanji (japanese symbol)for the size of the shell ,it might be very well hidden by layer's of paint but please dont go scrapping paint off to find it ,also there might be a manufacture maker stamp on the inside dome ,various makers used different symbols ,thanks for showing ,james

[kevinchang]

great helmet
could you pls let me know the seller? I am looking for this kind of helmet many years...

[Greg Pickersgill]

As we're talking about these Thai rebuilds of the Japanese M30, here's my tiny tale.

I acquired this helmet best part of ten years back from a shop in Swansea, Wales. The shopkeeper seemed to believe that the 'Japanese' star on the front was a later addition, and it certainly has been welded on, which I believed was not correct (I knew very little about Japanese helmets - then as now really.)

I recognised the whole thing as a Thai refit because of the liner, but there's no sign of a Thai badge. I knew that, according to Casques de Combat - my best reference at the time, that these helmets were refurbished were made during WW2. Notice there are a variety of 'new' rivets and holes not on the original Japanese shell, but required for the Thai refit. Also French Adrian-type metal liner springs. It is also just about possible to make out some of the stamp that reads MADE IN JAPAN on the liner band. That *really* surprised me, as it was in English! I was then very curious as to when were these liners were made.






I asked around about the helmet and had a very interesting response from US collector DAVE POWERS -

"The Thai you picked up with the Japanese Army star is not uncommon, but welded on is uncommon. Probably the split brads were missing and the weld did it well enough to be passed off as Japanese. Years ago a militaria dealer in the U.S. brought a number of these Thai helmets for resale. Took off the Thai plate and fitted on the Japanese Army star or Navy anchor as so inspired..... for resale as Japanese helmets. These showed up on Ebay occasionally. Yours fits the picture of the many put out in resale channels.

There is even a question about when this Japanese M30 helmet was modified. The Thai chapter in "Casques de Combat" states WW2 period, but there is real evidence that these helmets were commonly used by the Thai military after WW2. I have known of a collector who wrote directly to the Thai government about these Japanese M30 helms....they would not even acknowledge that they used them! Odd that, but of course they were effectively allied with Japan during the war so maybe a desire to disconnect from that. The "Made in Japan" stamp perhaps indicative of this post-WW2 period."

[JBR]

Ref the "MADE IN JAPAN" stamp, Greg, I once owned a WW2 Japanese tin medic box with assorted souvenirs within - including a black plastic fountain pen which had "Made in Japan" pressed into it. Although I cannot be absolutely certain the pen dated from before 1945, I think it probably did. The other items included a uniform button and belt buckle that were definitely WW2 Japanese. I think Japanese businesses would've used the English language marking on export items, with or without a Japanese equivalent, before, during and after WW2.