RACAL Allgemeine Gruppenfuhrer Space Helmet...RWBO possibly

**thecyclist64** · 08-13-2020, 04:37 PM

I hope you get to the bottom of this. Its got me intrigued and I don't collect helmets.

**Composite** · 08-14-2020, 12:50 PM

I’ve been advised by a “Sparks” that the gubbins (technical term) in the penultimate photo is almost certainly a speaker. If this is correct that would make the scoop top the speaker horn....why bother putting such a device under a plastic cover (where it can’t be seen) if this wasn’t meant to do something??

I’m starting to write off “film prop”........

**thecyclist64** · 08-14-2020, 04:11 PM

Maybe the clue is in the title of the helmet lable: Racal Accoustics Ltd. Hence the speaker. Just had a thought. Could the horn be some sort of loud speaker/amplifier which might be used for crowd control in some sort of Police riot control vehicle?

**Composite** · 08-14-2020, 05:02 PM

I was initially thinking it might've been something from Hendon....organising Riot Training ? I certainly wouldn't want to go out into an actual riot with a funnel on my head!

**MAP** · 08-15-2020, 04:23 AM

Early Virtual Reality prototype. The brackets on the side held a contraption to put your phone in.

Mystery solved. Glad I pull away from the TR section to see this

**thecyclist64** · 08-16-2020, 04:31 PM

by MAP

Early Virtual Reality prototype. The brackets on the side held a contraption to put your phone in.

Mystery solved. Glad I pull away from the TR section to see this

Not if this helmet is from the 1980's it didn't. Mobile phones were the size of a breeze block in those days.

**MAP** · 08-16-2020, 04:55 PM

by thecyclist64

Not if this helmet is from the 1980's it didn't. Mobile phones were the size of a breeze block in those days.

Perfect size

although the screen is a bit small

But hey. It was a prototype

RACAL Allgemeine Gruppenfuhrer Space Helmet...RWBO possibly

**BodhiEtheridge** · 08-16-2020, 05:07 PM

My best guess would be some type of tankers helmet, without the visor horn thing it looks like it has the shape of a tankers helmet. Maybe later modified by someone and that's why it as a newer black paint, but modified for what i have no idea. But that's just my best guess.

**James C** · 08-19-2020, 11:15 AM

An interesting helmet for sure Ade

and my own thoughts are if it was a Movie prop why was the decal removed as it would be worth more on the collectors circuit complete ,i have a few Police riot helmets that have had there decals removed for the surplus market ,i find it interesting the ad hoc body moulding is of the same colouration as the helmet on the inner parts visible ,are you certain the battery packs are just plastic mouldings and not actual sealed battery packs ? the wire coating has degraded exactly as other Racal looms have so must of been made in house by Racal and not perhaps some film studio modification but if it was it would be quite a coincidence for them to have sourced a suitable type of loom which would show similar degradation
Be great if you could get this example energized just to find out for certain if the voice mic is outgoing directly to the horn speaker ,My standard army example and others out there have a frontal visor bracket although i have never seen one with the actual visor fitted but would love to track one down but can see from your pics yours shows no signs of this bracket ever being fitted so it must of been built/chosen specifically for purpose ,do any of the fixing bolts used to hold it down look military grade and if all an identical set used
Now the hard part is trying to display this one

**Composite** · 08-19-2020, 12:48 PM

James, thanks for your interest and input...it's always valued.

Looking at the Battery Box issue first.....I've removed them again and taken a closer look. As you see from the mounting area on the helmet there's no wires from the inside to the outside

...and there's no holes for any wires into the detached Battery Boxes....and whilst it looks like there's a joint around the edge I cannot get it to part and there's no holes for wires anyway. Something I did notice though is the weight of these "boxes"....they must be solid...or have batteries in them...they can't be that weight and be hollow.