Unidentified Brodie Helmet?

[MySonsDad]

I searched around for a week, while this helmet was listed on eBay, trying to figure out what it was, I even posted a photo of the liner on here but nobody threw their two cents in. We’ll I never figured it out but curiosity got the best of me and I bid on it and won. Don’t worry, I didn’t pay much.

So now we own a ????

Does anyone know or has anyone seen one of these? The helmet looks unissued, the olive drab paint looks to be pretty fresh, other than marks from storage, and a big rust spot on the inside of the crown where the pad is. The only damage is to the center pad and a little fraying of the chin strap which looks to be the handy work of a mouse. I’m guessing the helmet is 20-30 years old, judging by the condition of the liner padding ring that is starting to brittle from age. All the cotton parts are fresh however. Not a single stamped mark on the shell, the only markings are the number 835 that is ink stamped near the chin strap. The liner is held in with a single pop rivet, the chin strap is held in with the same rivet as well as split tabs on either side. The chin strap is cotton and can not be opened as the end has been sewn over after the buckle.

My first thought was some kind of CD helmet but then I tossed that idea because of the olive drab color. Movie prop maybe, but the helmet is too minty for a movie plus not even the lowest of budget movies would have left that pop rivet sticking out the top! I exhausted every reference I have on Brodie helmets, just don’t know. I put the shell up against my Canadian MKII and the shell is exact in size and shape, but lighter in weight. What ever this lid is, I’m thinking a bunch of them were made and then went into a big box and stared away someplace, never to have been issued. Made for Iraq maybe?

Here a some photos, any clues, suggestions, ideas woud be much welcomed.

Russ

[MySonsDad]

Anybody?

[talltom]

does the padding on the liner come off maybe used as a paratrooper or tanker helmet to give extra protection

tom

[MySonsDad]

No Tom, that sucker is rivited in place! Thanks for the input. Russ

[talltom]

hmmmm its definatly an odd helmet if i find any info ill tell you

tom

[MySonsDad]

Thanks Tom, I've flat run out of places to look.....

Russ

[MySonsDad]

Experimental model maybe?

[battle gear]

Ive seen these before, I think it's a post war civil defense helmet / hard hat not made for miliary use

possibly used by the Dept of Forrestry or Conservation Corps as a hard hat

[MySonsDad]

Conservation Corp.....now I can see this as a strong possibility. I've got a 50's vintage CC cold weather mask (like the Army Korean issue but a slightly different shade of green) laying around someplace, they had thier own gear. There is a CC museum and I stumbled on to the web site, a long time ago. I'm going to follow up with that next....thanks for the input BG.

[MySonsDad]

OK, I'm pretty certain that it's not a civilian conservation crops helmet, I find nothing that indicates they wore any type of hard cover. I'm pretty confident it is not a US Civil Defense lid as they were all re-fitted M1917's until the OCD helmets came out, and this shell certianly is not an M1917. I think it is pretty safe to rule out Brit or any of the CommWth as they all used MK-IIs for CD lids. It's not Dutch or Belgian CD and pretty much every other country that adopted a brodie style CD clone still used a brit style liner.

The type of material used for the padded liner ring (don't know what the correct name is) I am certain was not around until sometime after WWII so this lid is very most likey 50's or later, probably even in the 80's I'm betting. I'm still of the thinking that this was some small contries military helmet but then again, someone would probably be familiar with it........OK, I'm still stumped!