French Gueneau helmet

[Rabaul]

Hi All, I'm not sure if this is the right place for this. But I recently bought the attached, a French Flying helmet variosly known as an Airaille, ZINSZNER (designer), or Gueneau etc. Although often said to be primative for the time, they were actually designed in the mid-1930s, with the hard shell a responce to increased speeds and agility of planes (the RAF B type from the same era was actually also slightly padded).

I've been after one for a while, but they have become rare and pricey. I got this for 65 euro, about 1/4 of the going rate, probably because of the paint! It is dated 1939.

I know they were used Pre-war and in WWII as pilot helmets and tanker helmets (as it has hooks for an oxygen mask, I assume this is the former). Post war they were used as paratrooper helmets, and cloth versions were used as such up to at least the 1970s, often in bright colours, orange, yellow etc.

Now my question is does the paint mean anything? Is it a period squadron colours, post war training colours or just done for use on a moped!

Regards

Steve

[reneblacky]

I can only type that it looks nice. Any more pics to show more detail?

[Rabaul]

Sorry for the delay,

I do not have the helmet yet, but here are some images from the vendor.

[Rabaul]

It appears Zinsznar started to design this helmet around 1932, pointing out that cork or leather were not suitable for crash helmets. He attempted an early type of lamination using bounded rubber sheets, although I don't think his later versions were rubber based. By 1936 was patenting earflaps and holders for radio receiver ear pieces.

The Type 11 was what France enter WWII using.

[Rabaul]

Here are some images of the helmet in use at the start of WWII. As seen below it was used by various parts of the armed forces, used by paratroopers from 1936-37. It was an important helmet type at the time, but has been neglected by collectors and writers outside of France.

The Airaille series contiued after WWII, as the types 12, 14 and 15 (with a line of cheek mounted press studs for attachment of RAF style O2 masks) and were almost identical to the pre-war Type 11. The Zinzsner company shared the design of the Airaille with the Gueneau et Cie company (hence the confusion of names for the type). One of the differences was the spelling of the name Airaille, written with two "L's" for Zinszner and one for those made by the Guéneau company.

As I asked earlier anyone have any idea if the colouring of mine is significant?

[Rabaul]

I see there is a 2014 thread on the post-war cloth type -

Ww2 french paratrooper cloth helmet?

Below are examples of post war versions (all currently avaliable on ebay!). It can be seen that they not only came in different colours but painting and decorating them was common. Perhaps explains painted pre-war Type 11?

[Rabaul]

My last unsolicited post (honest). Here is a translation of details of the post-war cloth covered French paratrooper helmet -

Helmet type 202 (2 models).

Mle 1950 TAP helmet. Intended for training airborne troops.

Guéneau 202 (2 successive models), Mle F1 and Richard-Pontvert anti-collision fairing.

Cover - a canvas sleeve. Canvas chinstrap with integrated chin bar. Manufactured from 1950. Distributed from 1950.

Country of origin: France Period of use: from 1950 to the present day.

Materials: cork shell then fiberglass and resin, canvas covering and sills.

Weight: type 202 1st model, from 345 to 400 g; type 202 2nd model, from 500 to 600 g; R.Pontvert, 480g.

Size: from 52 to 63 cm.

Color: khaki then army green or anti-collision orange.

[Rabaul]

So answering my own question.

Mine (first image of thread) is a 1939 manufactured French 'Armee de l'Air' pilot helmet, which survived the War. It was possibly then used in the period 1945-1950 (after which time the Type 202 cloth version superceded it) as an airborne helmet, when it was perhaps painted in 'anti-collision' colors?

Any comments welcome.

Steve