MKI khaki colour in comparion to MK2 khaki/brown and MK3

**tinlid** · 10-29-2015, 05:08 PM

I have no documentary evidence, only what I've seen, & what Marcus has told me. He has actually spent the time & money to find out from the archives.

**May1940** · 10-29-2015, 05:45 PM

Aaron
Thank you for the quick response. I guess it's back to the archives.
Andrew

**SMP** · 10-31-2015, 02:52 PM

Here is the development of the Khaki colour from 1917 to 1942/3. The pictures haven't come out in the order I wanted, but the top lid ( No 1 ) is a typical 1917-18 MKI. Next is a MKI* in very early, WW2 khaki, next is the bottom one ( No 7) which is another , very early MKI* with battle use. The next one up ( No 6) is a 1938 MKI* with the typical WW2 khaki found on most MKIIs. The other 3 ( No's 5,4,3) are various shades of the same WW2 MKII khaki. Note the WW1 MKI has a sort of shiny, mustard tint, while the very early MKI*s have a matt, grey tint. The Later MKI* and all the MKIIs have the typical , WW2 ,matt, army khaki tint.

**SMP** · 10-31-2015, 02:54 PM

And the dark brown/chocolate from 1943-45. The top one is a 1943 dated MKII, the others are both 1944 dated MKIIIs.

**SMP** · 10-31-2015, 03:09 PM

Some together:

**May1940** · 10-31-2015, 05:07 PM

Thank you SMP. You have a great collection to have so many examples. I have looked at these in order and they tell a very helpful story which ties in with what I would have expected. They give rise to a couple of questions:

Could the early Mk I*s actually be a grey colour paint?

It looks like all these have sand textured paint outside. Which ones have texture inside as well? Based on Aaron's post I would guess the Dark Brown Mk II and both Mk IIIs plus perhaps one or two of the MK IIs with the later Khaki [Green No 3?] paint.

Andrew

**SMP** · 10-31-2015, 06:18 PM

by May1940

Thank you SMP. You have a great collection to have so many examples. I have looked at these in order and they tell a very helpful story which ties in with what I would have expected. They give rise to a couple of questions:

Could the early Mk I*s actually be a grey colour paint?

It looks like all these have sand textured paint outside. Which ones have texture inside as well? Based on Aaron's post I would guess the Dark Brown Mk II and both Mk IIIs plus perhaps one or two of the MK IIs with the later Khaki [Green No 3?] paint.

Andrew

Thank you Andrew, I have a small, but focused collection of British lids.

WRT the "grey" MKI* colour - I have asked about it before because to me it looks like a different colour, however others think it is the same but showing storage changes.

All the helmets above have textured, outside paint. Only the "brown" MKII and the MKIIIs have texture inside. I do have some 1941 dated MKIIs with inside texture , but didn't show them because the khaki is the same as the 38/38/40 dated ones.

Of course there are many other colours for WW1 MKIs, but this thread is just about the standard khaki ones.

Steve

**tinlid** · 10-31-2015, 06:25 PM

You've got a serious collection going on there Steve.

But also remember they had serious problems with variation in shade on the khaki green up until 1942. Thereafter it was very standard,as HSAT,HSRAC & HSDR will testify.
Around that time the war office introduced dark brown to combat the shortages of the green pigments, 1943 seeing use of D/Brown on the Mk2 helmet. Both khaki green & D/brown were still in use together in 1944, Mk3's & Mk2 HSAT can be found in both colours.

**SMP** · 10-31-2015, 06:32 PM

by tinlid

You've got a serious collection going on there Steve.

But also remember they had serious problems with variation in shade on the khaki green up until 1942. Thereafter it was very standard,as HSAT,HSRAC & HSDR will testify.
Around that time the war office introduced dark brown to combat the shortages of the green pigments, 1943 seeing use of D/Brown on the Mk2 helmet. Both khaki green & D/brown were still in use together in 1944, Mk3's & Mk2 HSAT can be found in both colours.

Quite right , Aaron.

I can't claim any special knowledge regarding official colours. That all comes from you clever folk !

Steve

P.S. looks like our visit to "you know who" isn't going to happen . I haven't heard from him.