insignia painted on British helmet

[RMR]

Hi can anyone tell me what this insignia is painted on the side of a British ww2 helmet.Thanks Roger

[klinger]

not shure but can it be belgium, they used a similar helmet and this insignia

[Gary J]

Yes ! thats Belgium ....
I suspect you will find the helmet is an early post war Belgium issue.

Regards

Gary J.

[NickD]

this is the Belgium flag

Flag of Belgium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[gi0rgos p]

Roger, is the liner brown? In that case it's a postwar refurbished Belgian one, as the other members suggested. These decals are common for the Belgian MkIIs.

Regards, Giorgos

[RMR]

You are all correct gentlemen it's Belgian I just had the reply from the vendor he didn't show the interior it's a size 57 .Thanks Roger

[mk1rceme]

WWII MkII helmet liners did not have metric sizes...that is a definite indication of post war refitting of the liner.

[battle gear]

these were were made in the late 40's - early 50's Korean War era

[VC89]

It is indeed the Belgian flag painted on the helmet.

This types of helmet was first used, in the Belgian Army, by the 1st Belgian Infantery Brigade aka the Brigade Piron. It was in exile in the UK. I don't know if the Brigade Piron had the Belgian flag on their helmets.

It could be that the helmet was Brittish and later used by the Belgian Army. I have such a Brittish helmet from 1940 (maker stamp HBH) with an Brittish liner from 1941 who has the Belgian insignia/flag on it's shell.

You can see if the liner is made by a Belgian manufacture if it has an ABL stamp in it (Armee Belge/Belgisch Leger = Belgian Army in French and Dutch).