Belgian M51 i think!?? charity shop find I.D. please

**austromunga** · 10-31-2014, 09:36 PM

Hi all
some good Charity shop finds today..this M1 clone, a MK V British turtle helmet listed elsewhere on this forum.. and a 1950's EVEROAK fibreglass hard hat!!!! ..thats not really for here tho!!!
anyway here we go
I think its Belgian M51 M1 clone (decal on liner bit of a giveaway!!) shell decal has been badly removed taking the paint off down to the metal!!!
looks to have chin strap replaced very recently!! and liner has been used to carry a quantity of muddy water/dropped in a muddy puddle!!!
not sure about cover looks like American pasgat type to me... did Belgian army use these??? it has very faded makers stamp in crown of the cover but too feint to see/read
your thoughts please!!!

**Greg Pickersgill** · 11-01-2014, 10:47 AM

Have a look here - Belgian helmet covers - which seems to indicate it is *not* Belgian, and here - U.S. helmet covers - which seems to show it is indeed US Woodland pattern, I know *nothing* about helmet covers so rely on Mats' webpage for assistance.

**austromunga** · 11-01-2014, 01:55 PM

Hi Greg
thanks I thought it looked wrong (shaped to fit a Kevlar type Helmet) and its damaged too (stitching coming apart in places and little fixing straps missing) so will now be on the lookout for a nice "jigsaw" pattern cover!!!

**cammobunker** · 11-05-2014, 08:22 PM

That's a pretty common mix to find, older helmet with a newer cover grafted on.
Also, I suspect that the web chinstrap is U.S. issue, not Belgian, but it does at least have the correct leather liner chinstrap.

**James C** · 11-06-2014, 06:37 PM

very nice aquisition and worthy of any collection ,i believe the m51 is the nato name and the belguim designated name was the T21 .yours looks to have the post 1970's liner and nice to see the tricolour present ,any chance of seeing the steel pot with the cover off im sure it will have a textured finish and hopefully also have the tricolour too

cheers james

**austromunga** · 11-06-2014, 09:40 PM

here's a pic of the pot without the cover ...not a pretty sight!!! .. paint finish is very haphazard with areas of smooth paint and blobs of texture... decal looks to have been masked up for respray and now sadly is gone..leaving an oblong Belgian flag shaped hole down to the grey primer!!! on close inspection it looks as if the decal has been scraped off/ raided out to put on a better lid perhaps!!??

**austromunga** · 11-14-2014, 08:23 PM

Hi all
just a quick update on the Belgian lid ... now have a "jigsaw" pattern cover fitted ..its a composite type cover... but it was cheap!!! and it will do until I get a proper six finger M1 patterned type!!!

**Opex** · 11-16-2014, 10:51 AM

by austromunga

Hi all
just a quick update on the Belgian lid ... now have a "jigsaw" pattern cover fitted ..its a composite type cover... but it was cheap!!! and it will do until I get a proper six finger M1 patterned type!!!

Very nice cover, with vivid colours still present, for your information the original Jigsaw patterned cover for the M-51 cover was very similar to the composite cover-minus the velcro fixtures and had a drawstring to tighten it onto the shell, there was no six finger M1 type cover issued by the Belgium's at this time.

**austromunga** · 11-17-2014, 11:16 PM

Ta for the heads up... at least I know what I'm looking for now!!!! I can find plenty of the same type I already have (i.e. incorrect) but I suppose at least I have one already for when I get the composite helmet to match!!!! I guess the M1 type can be few and far between!!

**austromunga** · 11-23-2014, 12:12 PM

Hi all
I have now fitted a cover made from Belgian Camo with the rubber inner tube to hold it on... really pleased with the result!!! A Big thanks goes to James C ....thanks very much Mate!!!!!!!!!