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Last flea market find

Article about: This helmet was in a group of twenty or more other helmets and I picked it because it was in better shape than the others and it has a chin strap. All helmets were missing their liners but I

  1. #1

    Default Last flea market find

    This helmet was in a group of twenty or more other helmets and I picked it because it was in better shape than the others and it has a chin strap. All helmets were missing their liners but I did find a liner , just not sure if it belongs to this type of helmet. It is stamped with the letters EQ and followed by what I think may a small 3. Again your thoughts and thank you for any opinions.Last flea market findLast flea market findLast flea market findLast flea market find

  2. #2

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    a British turtle helmet, post war.

  3. #3
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    It's a Mk4, first produced in 1945 - January 1946, then again sometime in the early 50's. The liner should have some dates & maker names on.

  4. #4

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    I did a little research and found out it is a RO&CO 1952. The seam at the rear has a gap and the stamp is parallel with the seam. What I would like to know is if it is in it's original paint. The color of the helmet is flat black. The person I bought it from sold it and the liner to me for @20.00 because he said he did not know anything about but was told by others, that it was either German I I knew batter than that)or Italian. I actually thought it was Soviet or Warsaw Pact. Did I get a good deal?

  5. #5
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    Quite often this helmet is thought to be Russian or Eastern European. These helmets were painted textured dark brown in 45/46, I'm not sure, but I think they painted them olive green & black during the 50's, but they might have painted them dark brown as well?
    1950's Mk4's can sell for £10-maybe £25.00, but 1945 dated ones can sometimes be sold for £50+

  6. #6

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    Quote by tinlid View Post
    Quite often this helmet is thought to be Russian or Eastern European. These helmets were painted textured dark brown in 45/46, I'm not sure, but I think they painted them olive green & black during the 50's, but they might have painted them dark brown as well?
    1950's Mk4's can sell for £10-maybe £25.00, but 1945 dated ones can sometimes be sold for £50+
    I read somewhere that the 50s made lids were painted black for police (military?) use in west Germany!..

  7. #7

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    Quote by Gunny Hartmann View Post
    I read somewhere that the 50s made lids were painted black for police (military?) use in west Germany!..
    Well, I think these helmets have a very diverse history in terms of who used them, almost as varied as the earlier "Tommy" helmet. I have seen thase in use in just about every country where British influence existed. It has even been worn backwards on a Beatles record sleeve

    As wel as military use they have been used by police forces sometimes painted black as well as blue and with or without the white "police" marking. The early ones had the same liner and attachment method as the MKII (these lasted longer in police use) but later ones had a stud for a "lift the dot" fastener in a hideously wobbly and uncomfortable liner that got easily caked in dirt and cam cream. I had the pleasure of this type of headgear upto the introduction of the MK6 in the '80,s.

    In military use they were painted many times in different shades and finishes, the most up to date being NATO green IRR mixed with sand. It was hard to tell because they were always covered in hessian, netting and scrim.

    When we scrapped them I managed to purloin some painted in Brunswick gloss green with a red band and blue/red MP square at the front. I had LCPL up to WO2 but after a few years nagging by her indoors I binned them at the council tip and now have only the SSGT, what was I thinking!!!

    Some of these helmets are dated some are not and some wartime ones were converted to take the new liner whilst some survived as they were. The post war chinstrap was a horrible green elastic affair that was as much use as "tits on a fish".

    Once you recognise the shape you will never take it for anything else!

    They are becoming interesting to collectors now but they hold too many unpleasant memories for me I'm afraid!

    I hope this is of some help

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  8. #8

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    Also meant to say that the MK4 and MK5 are evolutions of the wartime MK3 which succeeded the MKII and the MK4 was the first with the "lift the dot" but other wise there is little difference. I can't tell from the pics whether you have a MK4 or MK5 but here are a couple of pics of the awful liner I was talking about

    Regards

    Mark

    Last flea market findLast flea market find

    PS The first pic shows the liner without the elasticated washable cover tha fitted over it like a kind of sock before clipping the liner into the shell.
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  9. #9
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    I must agree the Mk 3- 5 although not a very popular helmet especially by the service men that had to were them they are starting to become quite collectible in there own right now.
    I currently have three im my collection ranging from a 45 dated Mk 4 a 52 dated Mk 5 in the previously mentioned matt black and a early 70' MOD refitted Mk 5 being painted in IRR nato green mixed with sand .
    I am currently on the hunt for a 43 - 44 Mk III to round my collection off although I did not appreciate them much at first they have rather slowly started to grow on me and IMO no Brit/commonwealth helmet collection would be complete with out at least one exmple on the shelf.

    Regards Mark K
    Last edited by Mark K; 01-15-2014 at 09:55 PM.

  10. #10

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    The only "Turtle Shell" I have in my collection is a Mk. III.

    It has a dark brown, rough textured shell (could not find date), with a 1943 liner (screw/nut), it also came with a net with camouflage mesh.

    I paid a lot for it, but that' s the only one I've seen.

    Will provide photos when I go back to Japan.

    Cheers!
    Taka

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