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WW2 British Army Mk2 Helmet, Original Camo Paint?

Article about: Hi, I'm new to the forum so I apologise in advance if I get anything wrong! I came across a nice mk2 WW2 Helmet and was wondering whether the camo paint was original? I've tried searching th

  1. #1
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    Default WW2 British Army Mk2 Helmet, Original Camo Paint?

    Hi, I'm new to the forum so I apologise in advance if I get anything wrong!

    I came across a nice mk2 WW2 Helmet and was wondering whether the camo paint was original? I've tried searching through pictures, but I haven't found any like this. Could it of been factory? Or just a soldier did it himself

    WW2 British Army Mk2 Helmet, Original Camo Paint?WW2 British Army Mk2 Helmet, Original Camo Paint??

    The helmet is dated 1945 and the seller claimed it was worn in the northern Italy Campaign.

    Any info would be greatly appreciated!
    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Hi,
    If it’s dated 1945, it is unlikely to have seen any Second World War service.. not impossible, just unlikely.. Kit generally took about a year to work through the supply/stores system - though could occasionally shift a lot quicker (primarily with special issue items).

    Is the date on the shell or liner (which, of course, could be a later replacement)? The shell date would be on the underside of the rim, near the chinstrap mount, but may well be covered by paint.
    Such camouflage would have been applied by the wearer, rather than a factory. It appears to be a home service helmet.

    Anyway, welcome aboard!
    All the best,
    Bob

  3. #3

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    Quote by 4rch View Post
    Hi, I'm new to the forum so I apologise in advance if I get anything wrong!

    I came across a nice mk2 WW2 Helmet and was wondering whether the camo paint was original? I've tried searching through pictures, but I haven't found any like this. Could it of been factory? Or just a soldier did it himself

    WW2 British Army Mk2 Helmet, Original Camo Paint?WW2 British Army Mk2 Helmet, Original Camo Paint??

    The helmet is dated 1945 and the seller claimed it was worn in the northern Italy Campaign.

    Any info would be greatly appreciated!
    Thanks
    Hi and welcome to the forum.

    First of all I would say before anything else that this helmet is brush painted and crudely done so that discounts any possibility of it being factory painted.Plus I have yet to see a British helmet officially painted with a camouflage pattern.

    This one seems to have multiple layers of paint and I can't tell for sure if the khaki is on top of the black, the black is on top of the khaki or as I suspect a bit of both. Can you tell what the original colour is?

    Also, you mention the helmet being '45 dated. Is that on the shell or the liner? More detailed pictures of the whole thing are needed.

    Concerning the story of it being worn during the Italian campaign, consider the fact that the MkIII was introduced in 1944 as a replacement for the MkII. I'm not saying that MkII lids were not worn in Italy because they were and they certainly did not disappear from the field army overnight. In fact MkII and MkIII continued in use together for quite some time. That said, I don't believe I have ever seen a '45 dated (military) MkII shell which is why I asked if the date is on the shell or liner. The MkIII did have a dedicated liner (similar to but deeper than the MkII) but certainly in the begining MkIII shells with MkII liners were around.

    There is a very widely used saying in the hobby that goes "buy the item not the story" so with that in mind and this really "funky" paint job if you post more pics of the interior including any stamps etc on the shell and the liner and the members here will give you chapter and verse on what appears to be a solid if badly overpainted MkII.

    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."

  4. #4

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    Quote by Kohima View Post
    Hi,
    If it’s dated 1945, it is unlikely to have seen any Second World War service.. not impossible, just unlikely.. Kit generally took about a year to work through the supply/stores system - though could occasionally shift a lot quicker (primarily with special issue items).

    Is the date on the shell or liner (which, of course, could be a later replacement)? The shell date would be on the underside of the rim, near the chinstrap mount, but may well be covered by paint.
    Such camouflage would have been applied by the wearer, rather than a factory. It appears to be a home service helmet.

    Anyway, welcome aboard!
    All the best,
    Bob
    Think you pressed "send" just before me Bob
    "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."

  5. #5
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    Default

    Hi,
    Thanks for the quick response!
    I'll probably give this one a miss then!
    I think the paint is too thick to see any visible dates and the seller is going by the liner.
    Thanks

  6. #6
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    Looking at the helmet and liner, I'd say it is a private purchase, for use on the home front.
    Date 38/39, paint is recently done.

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