Opinions on this Canadian MK II helmet flash?

[BlackWatch1945]

Hi guys,

What's your thoughts on this RWR Mk II helmet decal? I came across this helmet recently but I'm really not sure on it. The only flashed version I've ever seen (top image) is from the Winnipeg Rifles museum. This decal is slightly different.. faded? and mostly scratched out, though it looks very similar. The helmet also appears to have been repainted, originally being closer to the colour on the helmet in the top image as you can see on the outline of the scratched out decal.

I'm leaning towards it being not real, but I'm really not sure and would appreciate some more opinions on this piece as you simply do not come across items to this regiment very often, nevermind flashed helmets.

Thanks in advance.

[matthewsq]

Hey BlackWatch,

Nice to see another vancouverite. I grew up there, but just recently moved to Toronto.

Anywhow - regarding the helmet. I'm not an expert on these, but since there are no replies I'll toss in my opinion.

I would give this one some thought. As you mentioned, the helmet looks to have been painted over at some point. It looks like someone (a collector probably) purchased it repainted and noticed that the outline of a decal was beneath the overpaint, and went hunting to find out what it was by either scratching away at the paint of using a chemical pain remover. In their eagerness, it looks like most of the decal got removed too. Perhaps the paint cleaning chemicals worked away at the green part of the decal but not the black outline - I'm not sure.

What I think you have MAY be an original decaled helmet (whether or not the decal was applied during the war or post-war is a whole other question) that was repainted, then found by a collector who tried to uncover the decal and damaged it in the process.

This is just my 2 cents. Do you have other photos?

Cheers,
Quinn