Italian Navy M33 helmet

[OldSteel]

Morning everyone,
just today I found this M33 helmet of the Italian Navy; it is a war period helmet specially produced for the Navy, as you understood by "MRM" code printed in the steel on the rear flap:
M = (manufacturer unknown); RM = (Regia Marina)

This is an interesting and particular M33 variant, reconditioned in the postwar directly in the Navy arsenal using different materials from the usual M33 Army.
-The shell and the liner metal structure are the WW2 period.
-The felt positioned under the leather cap is orange type of the WW2 period.
-The leather cap is of the type hand-produced in the Navy arsenal with two side seams, instead of the single and back seams of the Army version.
-The chinstrap is the Navy version in natural leather and single rivet.
-The shell was repainted in dark green rough and was painted the flash with the anchor of Navy, in the version without crown.
Is a bit of time that I tried to add this variation to my collection, but the ones I' had seen to date were very worn, however this example is complete and in very good condition, very interesting also the particularly rough painting and time patina in my opinion.

Thanks for looking
Roberto

[Tinhat]

Nice helmet, thanks for the description of the differences between this model and the army model.

[plumbob]

Well done its nice to finally find something that you've been looking for a long time.
I've seen these type of liners before and never knew what they were, thanks to for the education.
Here a picture of my m33 producers mark, I've been told this mark would also have been for a batch of helmets made for the Regia Marina.
Thanks and well done
Rod.

[OldSteel]

Well done its nice to finally find something that you've been looking for a long time.
I've seen these type of liners before and never knew what they were, thanks to for the education.
Here a picture of my m33 producers mark, I've been told this mark would also have been for a batch of helmets made for the Regia Marina.
Thanks and well done
Rod.

Thanks Rod,
I'm glad that my information has been of help.
There are not many truly secure information and document of 'M33 helmet, what is known, especially in relation to the batch number and manufacturers, often they come by the experience of us collectors.
For what is my personal experience, I can confirm you that the batch number of your example actually belongs to a production of shells made for the Italian Navy in the WW2 period.
The "P" code should be a manufacturer "Pignone" of Florence, the "4" number indicates a precocious batch number, so probably produced in the late '30s.
The small anchor, which sometimes appears before the batch number and sometimes, as in this case is placed after, confirming a production for "Regia Marina".
I'll add an example for comparison, made by the same manufacturer for Italian Army in the late '30s.

Regards
Roberto

[plumbob]

Thanks mate, all information is greatly received. Its a pity there hasn’t been a study on batch numbers on M33’s.
Many thanks
Rod

[OldSteel]

I add another variant of the Navy M33 helmet, with a different white leather liner, always made in the naval arsenals, restoring a helmet from the WW2 period.

Regards
Roberto

[MAP]

Nice helmets Roberto. Always learn just a little bit more every time you talk about M33's. (And also realized how much I DON'T know about M33's )

[OldSteel]

Nice helmets Roberto. Always learn just a little bit more every time you talk about M33's. (And also realized how much I DON'T know about M33's )

Thanks Michael,
I am very pleased with this, you encourage me to further develop this topic.

[Odysseios]

Hi, this is my Marina Militare helmet. The batch number is P6, and a lot of P MM helmets where refurbished in the 50/60s with khaky WW2-like leather chinstraps.The liner too seems to be wartime.

[OldSteel]

Hi Odysseios,
it's a nice helmet and I thank you for posting it, give me the opportunity to talk about these particular examples refurbished after the war, they are all with the same characteristics of: color, type of badge, chinstrap.
The only difference I found in the liners, which can be:
- bleached leather and double parallel rear stitching (WW2 type)
- tan color leather with Z-stitch.
The lot numbers are all marked "P", and the following number, according to some collectors, seems to be related to the size:
P1 = 61
P2 = 60
P3 = 59
P4 = 58
P5 = 57
P6 = 56
this is an interesting but undocumented theory, but in fact on many examples that I have observed this really happens.
There was also a pre-war production with lot number P, but the letter had a different shaped font or was followed by an anchor, as you can see in the previous images of this post.
Unlike the refurbished made in the arsenal (see the examples I posted earlier), which in my opinion were intended for internal use at naval bases or for personnel on board; I think that examples like yours, with standardized characteristics, were made by external companies, according to defined specifications and probably intended for operational units, perhaps the Marine Infantry?
For comparison below here are two of my examples, where you can observe the two types of liners, as I said the shells are both marked P3 and are size 59.

Regards
Roberto