Red WW2 Turtleshell. Firemans ?

[Blindpew]

Thats a fair observation you have made regarding the colour which I can't dispute.

In my 'stack' of five lids, the 2nd one down, its dated 1952.
I asked someone I knew(one of my old mans friends), who had been in Korea, if that was the colour that they used over there.He kinda laughed and said that "we didn't have helmets",(usual British 'share your kit' senario I guess) - but then went on to say that the green was the colour used in ww2.
The 2nd from the bottom is a high chinstrap type and the colour I have also been using as a more realistic guide.
So to come clean, I have been using that colour as a rough guide which I can't verify.I seem to struggle to get colour pics of troops wearing these lids.
One of the museums, I think Fort George,(near Inverness), has a 'd-day' turtleshell, although not high-chinstrap type,(so technically its a fake ), it is painted a very similar shade to my high-chinstrap type.
I may be up that way in a few weeks and if I can sneek my camera in, I'll try to get a snap.
Perhaps these helmets with original colours are far rarer than what I think they are?

[Blindpew]

Photo.
"An abandoned German machine gun post provides cover for men of Le Regiment de la Chaudiere as they try to move off Juno beach".


I suspect it would probably be 'specialist' units,(commandos?), that would have had preference in the turtleshell department, and this may account for alternative camo colours on British shells?
I don't have any photos handy of any British soldiers wearing this type of lid but maybe someone could oblidge with one, as I'm sure they will exist.

Interesting point?
Someone once told me that the 'war-reporters' or cameramen rather, only had cameras that could take only hold a couple of minutes of film at a time, hence one of the reasons we never see long clips of the landings in any great detail.

[Blindpew]

Another pic of Canadians wearing the turtleshell.

[DJT]

Here is a link to a thread I did a while ago about a MKIII that I bought in Canada back in February. The exterior has been repainted post war. Someone mentioned I could try a product called semi gel paint stripper which is all natural to safely remove the post war paint layer. I think I will try that carefully but I have to wait & buy the semi gel stuff from the US as I cant find it in the UK or Ireland.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=94859

[Blindpew]

I missed that thread, I must be at the German helmet section too much thanks for the link.
I have no doubt your helmet is good, very interesting that it has been repainted and been MP used, and it would be nice to know what colour is underneath it.If you manage to track down some of that gel, I would be very keen to hear your results.

[force136]

Mkiii

Hi Mr. Thomas

I checked out the other thread and I was surprised to see the markings in the shell. Does it state 1944? or 44? This would be important as it might be a later trait before the MKIII went to the IV. Although I said earlier that there were no markings in early MKIII shells, sometimes you cant actually see the metal surface due to the camo texturing of the shell. This was also done to the interior. Original wartime factory paint is very hard to copy. When you see helmets with the original finish then its easier to determine what is post war. With the helmets being worn in the UK and other Commonwealth Countries into the 60's -70's and in my case even into the 80's, I would imagine examples with original finish are difficult to locate.

AsI mentioned all the untouched examples I have ever had are a matt grey colour on a textured surface. I have seen one with a matt-tan/green khaki colour as well which you see on some para helmets.

There are quite a few original MKIII helmets, some with unit markings in museums across Canada. It would be interesting to document them all.

Ken

Here is a link to a thread I did a while ago about a MKIII that I bought in Canada back in February. The exterior has been repainted post war. Someone mentioned I could try a product called semi gel paint stripper which is all natural to safely remove the post war paint layer. I think I will try that carefully but I have to wait & buy the semi gel stuff from the US as I cant find it in the UK or Ireland.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=94859

[DJT]

Hi Ken,

I just took the helmet out and held it under the light. There are maker markings and the date is 1944, although the 19 part is not as heavily stamped as the 44 part of the stamp. The original finish on the interior of mine is much different to the paint on the exterior so I am fairly sure that it was applied post war. As I said in the linked thread I do not know much about MKIII helmets and this is my first one (acquired at the start of the year in Canada). If you have any more questions on it I will do my best to help.

p.s Please call me Des, Mr Thomas makes me sound ancient and I am just a slip of a lad at 27

Hi Mr. Thomas

I checked out the other thread and I was surprised to see the markings in the shell. Does it state 1944? or 44? This would be important as it might be a later trait before the MKIII went to the IV. Although I said earlier that there were no markings in early MKIII shells, sometimes you cant actually see the metal surface due to the camo texturing of the shell. This was also done to the interior. Original wartime factory paint is very hard to copy. When you see helmets with the original finish then its easier to determine what is post war. With the helmets being worn in the UK and other Commonwealth Countries into the 60's -70's and in my case even into the 80's, I would imagine examples with original finish are difficult to locate.

AsI mentioned all the untouched examples I have ever had are a matt grey colour on a textured surface. I have seen one with a matt-tan/green khaki colour as well which you see on some para helmets.

There are quite a few original MKIII helmets, some with unit markings in museums across Canada. It would be interesting to document them all.

Ken

[force136]

Mkiii

Hi Des

Thanks for that info, its very interesting that they actually did mark some of the shells.

Ken

Hi Ken,

I just took the helmet out and held it under the light. There are maker markings and the date is 1944, although the 19 part is not as heavily stamped as the 44 part of the stamp. The original finish on the interior of mine is much different to the paint on the exterior so I am fairly sure that it was applied post war. As I said in the linked thread I do not know much about MKIII helmets and this is my first one (acquired at the start of the year in Canada). If you have any more questions on it I will do my best to help.

p.s Please call me Des, Mr Thomas makes me sound ancient and I am just a slip of a lad at 27

[Blindpew]

Transitional? Mk3 dated

Hi Guys,

Didn't want to start a new thread regarding this and felt it would fit in nicely with this one.Unfortunately no liner.
I had my doubts if I would ever see one of these, but now I have, what do you guys think?

[Blindpew]

Close up of rivet.

[Blindpew]

This where it gets interesting.The centre rivet although fixed in a similar way, is not done in a fashion that resembles the later ones.Namely it looks like it has been hand done.A lousy photo but the rivet itself looks like it has been splayed apart.

[Blindpew]

Tried to enhance a little, with photoshop.

The shell itself is correct for a screw in liner.

[Blindpew]

The inside looks like it has been rubbed down, but generally untampered with...

[Blindpew]

And rubbed down just a little bit more is the stamp, which to me looks a little too neat? - maybe I am being too suspisious?

[Blindpew]

The liner peg itself is very well fixed, and does not leak.