Tankist/VDV Helmet?

[RayG]

James that's interesting, Too bad there is only one photo. Here's the picture of the Chinese 1950 crash helmet from the link you provided. It looks like a direct copy of the Russian Tanker's helmet.
You can't tell if it has no ear mike holes but you would assume being a crash helmet it wouldn't have them unless the Chinese just copied the Russian helmet intact and exactly as made with the mike holes in case they were to use it in a vehicle. Also you can't tell if it's missing the inside lining and it looks like the stuffing in the round ear flaps are sewn shut with a cover where the one I have are not covered, as shown in the photo on the first page. Also the Chinese one has a metal buckle where as the one I have has pressed card board/fiber ones. Who knows though, it could be a cheaper Chinese copy but I still lean toward an expedient Russian war made one as most of the Chinese copies of Russian items I have seen are very well made, for example their copies of the TT-33 holsters are very well made. Ray

[RayG]

As had been suggested to do, bringing this back up again for further discussion or hoping some one could Id it or add new info on it. Ray

[James C]

Hope you gain some closure on this one Ray sometimes these items are forever a mystery

[RayG]

Hello

Aren't these big black numbers typical of theaters or movies studios?

Bruno

Thanks James, I'm hoping some additional info might just surface about the helmet. Someone out there may have run across one like it or can add info on what it might be.

I just reviewed the thread and just saw I didn't reply to Bruno's question about the black numbers. Sorry about that Bruno, I should have mentioned that is not a photo of my helmet but of another one.
Anyway, back up again, Ray

[RayG]

Well as suggested to do, again bringing this back up again for further discussion and/or hoping someone could Id it or add new info on it. Ray

[James C]

Hi Ray, i dont see any harm in bumping this thread ,especially as its your's hopefully you will reach out to somebody in the know ,but for now try researching Lend Lease Harley Davidson motorcycle helmets i believe they were based on the soviet tank helmet and issued from around 1942 and on into the cold war ,im sorry but its all i can come up with at the moment ,regards james

[RayG]

James I searched for the type of MC helmets that were provided in the lend lease program but only found one photo of Harley type of helmet in use during WWII, see photo. The photo is not so good but you can see it's not the same with no ear flabs and also I doubt that a MC helmet would need ear flaps like on the para helmets?
Anyway, just for info, the Soviet Union received some 34,000 motorcycles thru Lend-Lease. Of these, no less than 26,000 were »Harley-Davidson 42WLA« chain-driven solo motorcycles, the others »Indian« 741, 340 and 344, as well as several British types. Ray

[RayG]

Oops, meant to say tanker helmet not para. "The photo is not so good but you can see it's not the same with no ear flaps and also I doubt that a MC helmet would need ear flaps like on the para (tanker) helmets"?

[James C]

Hello Ray and i have not forgotten about your thread ,i spotted this and thought it might be of interest to you Korean War Chinese PVA Tankers Headgear | eBay

[RayG]

James you're the best. I appreciate that you remember my post on the hat and send me possibilities.
The problem w/ the hat I have is that it doesn't match the construction of other hats. It having the fiber board buckles and purposely made w/no lining and mike holes.

The only thing that might meet that description I can think about is that it was an emergency, hurry up production item made during materials shortages. As I mentioned before, the fiber buckles could still have been stamped out with the dies used for the steel buckles and made fairly sturdy temporary if coated with a hardener.
It doesn't appear to be unfinished, just made the way. Ray