Parachute/Airborne Helmets and HSAT's from around the world
Article about: I know a few of us discussed this some time ago and as Airborne helmets are one of my favorite sub catagories to collect and I have not seen another thread dedicated to the subject . So I th
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10-22-2017, 05:22 PM
#111
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11-08-2017, 01:04 PM
#112
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11-09-2017, 01:18 PM
#113
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11-09-2017, 07:21 PM
#114
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11-09-2017, 07:33 PM
#115
by
Mark K
I know not for everyone but any interesting example of a Belgium Post War produced HSAT I recently added to my collection I am afraid I do not have much information that I can share on these gents as I really can find little about them on line...What I do know is that the helmet body has been rather roughly pressed as it has a very pronounced flared edge and by the feel of it I would even say it had to be pressed twice as there is a very small bead around the circumference.. The liner in this particular example is in a size 55 and dated to 1951 and is nicely ink stamped ABL SARTEL, and an odd circular ink stamp I am having a hard time identifying... The dome pad in this example has a grey oval of sorbo rubber instead of the more common black we are accustomed to seeing on its British cousins it has the names and service numbers of two troopers and one I can positively say is Canadian on the interior the one has been torn away from another HSAT and was stuffed up in the lining...
There has been some speculation for some time by a few of us Canadian Helmet collectors that possibly Canada may have purchased some HSAT's from Belgium early on in the 50's to fill a supply gap as we were desperately short on AB helmets at this time until an order was fulfilled by BMB for 5000 helmets in 1953 this is just speculation on my part though as a few examples have surfaced with Canadian service numbers over the years...Of further interest is the fact that the webbing used for the cradle in the liner in this example is cream in colour when the majority I have seen have a green coloured webbing...
Greg Pickersgill has pointed out on a different venue ( It is hard to get the basics right about these Belgian products; what little information is available is usually confusing and contradictory. However I would be inclined to bet money that genuine Belgian-made helmets do have green rather than white/cream/off white webbing in the cradle. That's consistent across as the provable Belgian helmets I have seen. I also believe - though cannot prove - that only the Belgian helmets have white stitching on the chinstraps, which seem to be consistently green. I also think the slight flare of the shell towards the rim is a design thing not a pressing issue, but I can't prove that either! I think we all await Belgian collector Walter Jacobs' book - which I hope will be published soon. .Notionally the Belgian was a direct copy of the British, but as we know from the 'copies' of the Mk2 and Mk3 there may well be distinct variations. )
There are so many unanswered questions in regards to these HSAT's gents ..
Regards Mark
Mark i have to admit a have a little soft spot for this Belgian Hsat you have added to your parachutist collection and i reckon no serious AB collection should be without and given the chance i would gladly add one too ,This one is even more special to you personally especially with the Canadian usage and history of the piece and i Can't think of a better custodian Kind regards James
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11-09-2017, 10:13 PM
#116
by
James C
Mark i have to admit a have a little soft spot for this Belgian Hsat you have added to your parachutist collection and i reckon no serious AB collection should be without and given the chance i would gladly add one too ,This one is even more special to you personally especially with the Canadian usage and history of the piece and i Can't think of a better custodian
Kind regards James
James, there was a Belgian hsat on eBay last week
Regards,
Jerry
Whatever
its just an opinion.
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11-10-2017, 12:48 PM
#117
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11-14-2017, 08:17 PM
#118
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02-12-2020, 05:22 PM
#119
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02-15-2020, 05:17 PM
#120
Nice Been there example Alex ,Sorry i can't help on any referance pictures but can share my earlier 1971 example with green vinyl straps
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