Civil Defense/last ditch Helmet

[Jareth]

Still unpacking & setting things up. Here ( for Geoff) is my favorite example. "Kachu Unso" Central China Transport Company. I assume that symbol is company logo?Wonder if its railroad related or trucking etc?

[Jareth]

Founded 1942 ?

[SteveR]

First one I have seen marked like that.

[Geoff Ward]

Interesting helmet Jareth, Are those tack welds on the rim?? Neat liner as well.Regards,Geoff

[Nick Komiya]

Civil defense helmets were also under price control during the war, so there were some price related guidelines issued in government gazettes.

Civil defense helmets were rated for quality by the Civil Defense Research Office within the Home Ministry and their Class 1 helmet was defined as a steel helmet having a minimum gauge of 1.2 mm and minimum weight of 920 grams. An Oct. 1943 gazette has the maximum ex-factory price of a class 1 helmet as 6.6 Yen. A later Gazette sets maximum retail as 7.5 Yen, but this got lowered to 6.6 from 1st May 1944.

Class 2 was a steel and fiber hybrid type. Weighing a minimum of 600 grams. Specifically, this was a helmet made by the Sasao Bullet-Proofing Company and max. ex-factory was to be 6 Yen, and retailing for a max of 7.2 Yen.

Fire Brigade Style in fiber with min. weight of 550 grams had 5.6 as ex-factory and 6.7 Yen as retail maximums.

Helmets in materials and specs other than those specified above (excluding wood and bamboo helmets) were to be priced at a maximum of 50% of the lowest of the above prices.

[Jareth]

Yes Geoff they are. Thanks Nick for info