Mk2 No.2C Home Guard

[tinlid]

A standard home guard Mk2 helmet which is a No.2C, but is painted in the same way as an normal army helmet, textured khaki green outside & smooth shiny inside.
There were about 700,000 of these No.2's issued to the home guard, but are quite hard to come by.
The shell is dated 1941 & made by BMB, easy to see on the shiny smooth paint but at about this time they also painted them textured paint inside as well which makes it hard to see dates/maker names.
The liner is dated 1940 & made by TTC.

[ford369]

what makes this a home guard helmet? is it the 2 sets of holes showing it is not of combat standard ? because I always imagined HG helmets would be same standard as regular army or do you have some history on it?.I know some HG equipment was unique webbing etc just didnt think this stretched to helmets
Nigel

[tinlid]

Hi Nigel, By 1941 the home guard had been issued with about 1,700,000 Mk2 helmets, 1,000,000 were grade 1 military Mk2's the other 700,000 were the Mk2 No2 sub-standard type. Stamped with 1-4 holes in the brim so they wouldn't get mixed up with grade 1 helmets that were only issued to the armed forces.
Army & home guard helmets would have been painted textured khaki green, so this one with the 3 holes, No.2C would have only been given to the home guard.

[ford369]

thanks for the quick reply,I shall have to look through my helmets and see if I have a 2c to go with my HG uniform as at the moment it is using a standard helmet,the other option is the ww1 helmet fitted with ww2 liner that came from a local shooting club which was a HG range and old comrades association meeting place for many years
Nigel

[tinlid]

Have you any pics of the Mk1* (WW1 helmet)

[ppp p]

MkIINo2C HG kamo



Piotrek

[ford369]

not at the moment ,I will get it out of the spare room and sort some out asap,its the early rimless model,saw it laying on the bench when I went shooting one night and asked the club secretary who said it was found in the cupboard under the stairs and that If I wanted it to take it

[tinlid]

Neat camo Piotrek

[ppp p]

Thanks, Aaron
Almost the same

Piotrek

[tinlid]

The picture shows the 5th Sussex Bn HG.