Help identifying a helmet please...
Hi, this is my first post here so hopefully i'm not breaking any rules... I'm returning to the hobby of militaria collecting having enjoyed it when I was a teenager (pocket money medals and cap badges back then). I have just acquired this helmet locally and would be grateful for some advice on it's identity and genuineness (i'm aware there are lots of repro stuff around which I don't want to collect). Many thanks in advance...
It looks Canadian, but the screw that holds the liner on is upside down, the slotted part ( the screw) should be on the outside, while the domed bit ( the nut) should be on the inside.
Many times when people take the liners out, they have trouble putting the screw back in the correct way..it is easier to put it together with the screw reversed.
Dean O
Canada
Hi there, welcome to the forum. It is certainly an original helmet. It looks like a British WW2 home front type to me, but there are others here with greater expertise on these types. I am assuming the colour is grey? You should find a date mark on the cross shaped peice that secures the liner to the helmet (you will need to lift up the liner flaps to see it. It will probably be dated from the early war period.
I am not familiar with Canadian helmets and Dean may well know better than me, it does differ in the liner and chinstrap details from the British helmets in my collection.
Well I am almost sure that's a Canadian Screw on the top, however, photos of the screw from the inside would be helpful
Dean O
Fair enough, does the original poster live in Canada? and can you confirm the colour of the helmet please?
Hi, thanks all for your comments. The helmet is a greeny/grey colour. I live in Wiltshire and it was bought locally. I have taken it apart and attached some more photos, I can't see any marks or dates on it anywhere...
Yes that is a Canadian Screw for the liner, as far as I know the British screw head is much smaller.
Please check the front and back of the bottom of the lip that goes around there should be some markings.
The chinstrap is not a Canadian type that I have seen. Mark K should know more about this one.
Dean O
Canada
Hi Dean the Liner Retention nut and bolt is a Mk I and was first Introduced in January 1938 in Great Britain so not stricktly a Canadian Phenomena all though it was adopted and used as the Canadian standard through out the war years.
Reports from the field indicated that the bolt became lose easily and was difficult to keep tight the liner and helmet used to swivel around this led to a new bolt being designed.
As to the nut and bolt being worn in reverse there is actually a reason for this as the top of the liner retention bolt had a tendency to dig into ones head as the bolt threaded out past the nut ( As seen in the image below ) I have quite a few Canadian Mk II helmets in my collection that have had them period reversed.
As to the helmet Body it is not Canadian as the chinstrap lugs should be of the Mk II variety with clipped corners which was the Canadian standard through out the entire 1940-1943 procuction run .
Regards Mark
Great expert info from Mark there, and I have learned something. If the helmet is a greenish color it is presumably military issue rather than home front.
I knew Mark would nail, I bow to your greater knowelge!!!
So I have learned something for this thread myself, I never knew the British used this sort of screw and nut.
Dean O Humbled
Canada
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