3rd INF Turtle Helmet (1945 dated)

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 01-09-2015, 09:45 AM

Morning gents, I am sure you have seen this one over the last few weeks on the bay. The price has dropped again and if like me you think that this is a made up piece, that may very well be the reason. My granddad was in the 3rd Infantry Division on the 1st wave into Sword beach on D-Day. He's still around aged 89 so I asked him about this helmet. He said he too had a turtle helmet at this time but does not recall ever seeing one flashed up to the 3rd Infantry, either during the landings or later on. He recalls seeing many Regiment flashed "tommies" and "turtles" but none to divisions? I know this is a lot of years ago and the memory fades but it is at least a first hand opinion, what are your thoughts chaps? Leon.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 01-09-2015, 09:59 AM

I am dubious too.

Cheers, Ade.

**Paul D** · 01-09-2015, 11:29 AM

Me too Leon i think your instincts are correct !! What unit was your Grandad in ?

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 01-09-2015, 08:10 PM

by Paul D

Me too Leon i think your instincts are correct !! What unit was your Grandad in ?

Hi Paul, he was in the Lincoln Regiment once on the beach(where he should not have been)as he was in the Hampshire's when he left England as a 3rd wave re-enforcement but due to the usual cock-ups landed in the 1st wave just after the commando's at Ouistreham! Leon.

**tinlid** · 01-09-2015, 08:32 PM

Here's a couple of pics of the 3rd.

**SMP** · 01-10-2015, 02:43 AM

Looks like some of those MKIIIs have an early, woven net, Aaron !

**tinlid** · 01-10-2015, 03:51 PM

Yeah, I know someone who's got a nice woven net on a Mk3 don't I.

**Watchdog** · 01-10-2015, 06:44 PM

I reckon there was more to do just before D-Day than "flashing" helmets in this way. I've never seen one like this and don't expect to.

I served in a 3 Div unit (long after the war LOL! ) so I have seen quite a lot of 3 Div ephemera, archive material etc.

BTW as an aside, 3 Div is the only major formation in the British Army with an unbroken history since Waterloo. It still exists today just a couple of miles from my house!

The "Iron Division"

Mark