1942 MkIII 'Brodie' Helmet

**Bullet** · 06-19-2020, 07:33 AM

Hi all,

I have this helmet thats seen better days. The lugs are marked MkIII on one side and MkIII 1942 on the otherside, it's missing its liner but has retained in original chin strap. There is a Decal/Painted Lettering on the front, I can't make out what it is so I'm hoping someone can please enlighten me. I know that the spilt rivets are for British versions, so I'm assuming this is American or some kind of variant as its rimless.

Thank you so much.

**Composite** · 06-19-2020, 05:12 PM

You're probably gonna hate this...but hopefully you'll take it in the spirit etc etc...but "please" often helps

**tinlid** · 06-19-2020, 05:24 PM

Australian Mk2, looks greyish, so might be navy.

**Jerry B** · 06-19-2020, 05:27 PM

I am fairly certain it is an Australian made helmet from WWII, they were rimless and marked on the lugs in this way.

split rivets on the lugs only applies to WWI helmets, everyone uses dome rivets by WWII, mostly....

**Composite** · 06-19-2020, 06:37 PM

...or not....

**tinlid** · 06-19-2020, 07:35 PM

Obviously only on military helmets, we all know they didn't just use dome rivets on HF helmets, because it says so in a book.
Mind you, I do have a Mk1* with ww1 split rivets.

**Bullet** · 06-20-2020, 01:05 AM

LOL.. yeah I see where I went wrong. I've included politeness to my request. Thanks for keeping on the straight and narrow, I think War talk got me in a serious mood.

I think you're on the money for this being an Australian Helmet since I'm in Australia and is where I picked it up. Hmm.. I should look more into the Navy side of things, it could well be.

thanks.

**Bullet** · 06-20-2020, 01:29 AM

The other thing that is odd is the fact that this helmet is MkIII 1942, but there is a later helmet that was also a MkIII which was used for the Normandy Invasion (MkIII Turtle), obviously two different helmets visually but carries the same Mk version.

Thanks.

**tinlid** · 06-20-2020, 07:37 AM

It's the chin strap lugs that are Mk3, not the helmet.

**Composite** · 06-20-2020, 07:54 AM

As said above, these “Tommy” / “Brodie” / “Mk2” / whatever Helmets have a number of constituent parts..the shell, the liner, the liner screw/bolt, the liner nut, the strap, the strap retaining lugs....so it can be a tad confusing...technically you could find a Mk1 held in place by a Mk2 and a Mk3, all in a Mk2, which is held in place by a Mk3a which is attached via Mk3! :-) so you’ll often hear folk hear say stuff like “here’s a Mk3a on a Mk2”.....confusing but still 100 times better than German stuff!! :-)

...and that’s all re Brit models...start overlaying Antipodean beauties and there’s a mismatch of Marks!!!!!