Australian helmet Mk2

[OldSteel]

Good morning to all,
I share with you my latest acquisition I have done just yesterday, it is this Aussie Mk2 helmet in fair condition, you notice that has been used intensively because there is some slight bruising on the top.
Its original color khaki-green remains inside while on top and below the brim was repainted with the brush again using the khaki-green color.
The Mk2 liner is in very good condition and the cross shaped crown is one with the round hole, I think it's called "second type."
-shell: Commonwealth Steel "CS 13094" marked
-chinstrap lugs: Mk2 type, "1940" marked
I seem like a good helmet and are always very difficult to find for me; also it was missing in my collection the variant with chinstrap lugs Mk2.
It would be interesting to understand in what period and war front it may have been used.
Every your opinion is very welcome and I thank you in advance.

Best regards
Roberto

[tinlid]

Can we have some pictures please.

[OldSteel]

Certainly Aaron!
I apologize to you and to other friends, but while writing this thread there was a small break in the line and had to reload via auto-saved, the photos seemed okay but it was not so, now I reloaded I hope that now everything is ok.

regards

[dimmuborgir95]

Roberto, you have excellent helmets, thanks!

Best regards, Michael

[tinlid]

Always nice to see these with the early Mk2 chin strap lugs, hopefully our Aussie friends can enlighten us with their thoughts on the repaint.

[OldSteel]

Always nice to see these with the early Mk2 chin strap lugs, hopefully our Aussie friends can enlighten us with their thoughts on the repaint.

I'm glad you consider it an interesting helmet, and I appreciate very much the additional information that will be able to give me our Aussie friends.

Cheers

[aussie mick]

Nice helmet Roberto,
Im a little bit worried about the paint run marks under the brim,looks a little to new,Just my opinion.
The liner seems to be in excellent condition too,are there any makers marks on the inside of the liner on the fabric ?
In 1940-41 we were primarily deployed in the Mediterranean and Middle East,but we did have troops in Malaya and Singapore in mid 1941.
The colour of your helmet would indicate a jungle theatre,but i cant be 100% sure of that.
Where did you purchase it from?
In any case Glad to see an Aussie lid in your part of the world,congrats Mate

[OldSteel]

Hi Mick,
I waited carefully your expert opinion and I thank you very much for the additional information and suggestions.
To answer your questions: this helmet belonged to another collector with whom I made a change and it was not particularly interested in this kind of helmets.
As for any other markings of the liner, I tried to search, in addition to size mark 7-1/4 I found inside of the remains of a white inscription that could be "Dunlop" followed by a number, maybe the size?
I try to show you some pictures:


To respond to your questions on the liner and on the paint I try to tell the analysis I did before taking: the oil cloth is actually in very good condition, but it is very old, it has crystallized and must be handled with care otherwise it breaks , also it can be noticed the wear at the contact points, also the white padding below it seems very old:


I then compared the materials and the components with which it was built, with three other Australian helmets of my collection (see picture below) and to me seemed exactly alike:


They remained doubts about the paint, actually since it was painted seem to me was no used, but looking closely not seem a recent paint, this fact made me think of a different hypothesis, that it is a helmet of early type, probably born with a Mk1 liner and later refurbished with components of WW2 stock and repainted, it remained in warehouses and no used; This could have happened to the return of North Africa campaign or in the End War-Korean War period, might be an idea.
That said I tried to do the best analysis I could with my modest knowledge, but Mk2 Australians could not miss in my collection of Commonwealth helmets of WW2 period.
I hope I have answered your questions, and I hope my translation in English is not too bad!

Best regards
Roberto

[rundymc]

Very nice helmet Roberto

[reneblacky]

I also have a repaint for tropical issue I do not see a problem