Meaning of narrow painted band around MKII helmet

[ynot]

Hello,

Here’s a helmet I’m thinking of getting but would like to ask if the green band painted around it has any significance?

I’ve searched online and have found helmets with a painted white band belonged to beach groups, so wondered if the green was either some kind of post war addition or from war time use, home front or army. It has the same dark green painted under the brim.

Hoping someone can help.
Tony

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Hi Tony, I have not seen that colour band myself before. I am also wracking my brains as to why it would be painted that colour under the brim as well? It certainly looks as though it has been on there a long while though, judging by the wear. Leon.

[ynot]

Thanks for the reply Leon.

It looks like an army helmet to me rather than home front going by the colour, but I only have photos to go on and agree that the band appears to have been there a long time. I found a photo from an auction site (Lockdales?) showing the white Beach Party band and it looked like it had remains of white under the brim too. I suppose it's possible it was used post war by the Dutch, Belgians, Norwegians .........

Might give it a miss if it can't be identified.

Tony

[tinlid]

From that picture it looks to be a nice original army Mk2 (textured khaki green paint)
If it was a smooth painted Mk2 with an green 1/2" band I would have said NFS Messenger.
But being an army Mk2, I don't know what the green band would represent.

[ynot]

Aaron, it's great to hear your opinion even if you can't positively pin it down. I wonder if the NFS used army helmets too? I might buy it as the price is fair for an unknown.

Tony

[Composite]

'not sure about NFS Messengers....I thought they had red and white broken bands rather than green. I have an "M" helmet with a blue band though. Blue is often associated with Incident Officers....but the fact is I'm not 100% about this one either.....perhaps they're related?


Attachment 939985

[Watchdog]

I've never seen this before either but a place to look might be the Field Security Wing of the Corps of Military Police (CMP) who wore green covers on their SD hats rather than the familiar red (Vulnerable Points units wore blue BTW) so I guess this is a possibility. The FSW were eventually absorbed into the Intelligence Corps whose facings are green as are their current berets.
Just an idea.

Mark

[CampX]

That colour Green, which is a bit odd, is the same odd shade of green used on H.D. Gas containers, HD is better known as mustard gas.
I will post a photo of my WW2 H D can in a few days... and you will see that the Green on the lid is the same shade as the can

Dean O
Canada

[ynot]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up buying it because it's different and a bit of a mystery.

Dean, the strange thing is the person I got it from insisted it was a Canadian helmet which I dismissed because it's a Brit made shell with Brit liner. Perhaps his info was correct i.e. used by Canadians rather than Canadian made?

I won't get it in my hands until after Easter so will be checking out both Mark's Field Security Wing suggestion and Dean's mustard gas connection.

The stripe on the Messenger helmet is in exactly the same spot, is the underneath of the brim blue as well?

Tony

[CampX]

Again, I just mentioned that the odd shade of green was the same on the H D can, is it possible that the home guard had different colours for different areas?
Canada produced far more than enough Lids for our People and other armies, however it is not unheard of that a few Canadian Soldiers did for some reason use British Lids.

Again, Just my thoughts

Dean O
Canada