British tanker helmet?

[longbows]

Hi. I just acquired this from an estate sale. It was labeled as a paratrooper helmet but my research is saying its possibly a British tanker helmet. Is this correct?

If so why would it be painted white and whats going on with the liner?

It looks melted but no other signs of fire.

Thanks. Any info on this would be appreciated.

[Composite]

OK....it's NOT Para (sorry)...it's a vehicle crew helmet BUT they were also used by Navy and Royal Marines too. It looks like the Rexenne section (the black bits) have been eaten away in places and the central black sponge-like cruciform (or "crossy bit") has been the subject of some heat (sunlight on the outside of the shell is often all it needs) and just dropped off. The rest of the liner tells us it is/was a Lift-The-Dot pattern (by pulling on the rounded end tab of the brown liner frame) the liner detatches from the shell and SHOULD then just push back on. And last but not least, it's white...errr....cos it is......who knows?...could have been a sun-bleached other colour....might've been used in the snow and camo's accordingly......

oh and thery're officially called HSRAC - Helmet Steel Royal Armoured Corp....used by Brits'n'Belg mainly........

[earlymb]

I think this one is Belgian, at least used post-war by Belgium. Is the liner marked?

[longbows]

OK....it's NOT Para (sorry)...it's a vehicle crew helmet BUT they were also used by Navy and Royal Marines too. It looks like the Rexenne section (the black bits) have been eaten away in places and the central black sponge-like cruciform (or "crossy bit") has been the subject of some heat (sunlight on the outside of the shell is often all it needs) and just dropped off. The rest of the liner tells us it is/was a Lift-The-Dot pattern (by pulling on the rounded end tab of the brown liner frame) the liner detatches from the shell and SHOULD then just push back on. And last but not least, it's white...errr....cos it is......who knows?...could have been a sun-bleached other colour....might've been used in the snow and camo's accordingly......

oh and thery're officially called HSRAC - Helmet Steel Royal Armoured Corp....used by Brits'n'Belg mainly........

Hey thanks for that info Composite. Would this also be called the MK II then?

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I think this one is Belgian, at least used post-war by Belgium. Is the liner marked?

I did not see any markings but I will give it a closer look tonight.

[Greg Pickersgill]

The Belgian version of the HSRAC was produced with the nut&bolt liner only, not with the lift-the-dot system. So we can reasonably assume this to be a UK product, though of course might have been used by Belgian forces, as was a lot of surplus material immediately after WW2/

[earlymb]

It's the brown fibre bands of the liner that makes me think it's Belgian used. The shell itself is most likely British WW2 production.

[longbows]

I could not find any other marks other than a size 6 5/8 (very small!).

Also in better light I am going to call the color tan instead of white now.

[earlymb]

That would indicate a British-made liner after all, as the sizes in Belgian (and Dutch) ones are marked in centimeters.

[Jerry B]

Is that an Israeli chinstrap and perhaps paint?

[RVLucy]

Belgium only made copies of the HSRAC Mk.I, Belgian copies have squarer chin-strap lugs and these are made of magnetic steel.