Mk2 Police sergeant

[tinlid]

Here's a standard police blue painted Mk2 with in white POLICE to the front, above which is a transfer sergeants stripe. Also marking this helmet as a sergeant are the two white 1/2" bands.
The shell is dated 1939 but the chin strap lugs are 38 dated, liner is a BMB made one dated 39.
Slightly worn but you get the idea, & quite hard to find.

[Gunny Hartmann]

Good find!....

[Jerry B]

A very good example mate, not that common to find with the extra's these days.

[Lidman]

Great looking Police lid, with a nice bit of bling

Brad.

[Watchdog]

Nice helmet and not too common with those markings. It was probably a matter of local / force policy that resulted in those markings. It has pretty much always been the case that each UK police force employs a certain amount of choice in such matters without needing government approval. In fact most people think that all police equipment needs Home Office approval, this is not so. Each force can legally procure and use any kit that is on the market. Home Office approval just means that if something goes wrong when kit is used there will likey be less of a fuss!

Anyway, back to the point

My example pictured here is the standard MKII police blue item. I know that in general home front helmets differed in quality and grade of steel from the military model but I think the Police, Fire Brigade etc were issued standard military grade helmets.

Mine is 1938 dated and the maker mark is HBH which I think may be Harrison Bros and Howson of sheffield (?). What I would like to know if anyone here has the answer is what does the extra mark on the underside of the brim mean? It looks to me like a 'P' and a broad arrow but the P seems to have a kind of serif at the top left. Any ideas?

Regards

Mark

[tinlid]

In late 1938 the Police & Fire service started receiving the first Mk2 helmets, HBH, WD & JSS were the manufacturers of these first shells & Helmets Ltd & Vero making the liners. This was before the armed forces received theirs in early 1939, so would be a Mk2 No1 which was made of manganese steel like the armed forces helmets.
The stamp on the rear inside brim was probably done to identify it as belonging to a certain police force, as it's not the steel batch number.You can't trust these police forces nick anything.
Nice helmet

[Watchdog]

.You can't trust these police forces nick anything.
Nice helmet

Hahaha! "Who checks the Cheka"? as they say

Thanks for the reply, Any ideas about the XEII above the maker mark?

In many military nomenclature systems an 'X' prefix tends to relate to experimental though I doubt that is the case here.

Regards

Mark
PS the only thing done to conserve the helmet was to wipe it with a damp cloth then dry thoroughly.

[tinlid]

That will be the steel batch number, XE, the II for Mk2 helmet. These numbers/letters are nearly always by the date/maker initials.

[Watchdog]

Thanks for that!

Mark