British WWII Pith Helmet?

[Peter_Suciu]

Is this helmet on eBay actually WWII or post-war? The reserve is $50.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

[ROBB]

Difficult to tell could be 1920-1960 .I wonder if there is the outline of the badge on the helmet once its been removed?.It cerainly looks old and $50 isnt very much . Personally I prefer the WD marked helmets .Rob.

[Karpathian]

In my opinion it's good. Interior looks ok, straps and khaki material looks original to me also. Later i will post pics of mine. Reg. K.

[leigh kitchen]

Definitely not my field, but it's a Wolsely, so it was first introduced about 1902, it's bound in leather so it's an officers.
The similar looking but "flatter topped" pith helmet also came in about 1902 I think & officially it replaced the Wolseley for use in India in the 30's, but both patterns continued in use through WWII.

I can't remember the details of the badge worn bu officers of the Glosters on these offhand, but there would also have been a back badge, & the badges would have been silver & gilt officer quality.

It would be interesting to see if the badge on this has an elongated slider fitting for use with the pagri, or if it's just an ordinary Glosters cap badge stuck on, perhaps an Other Ranks white meatl version (& this would have been worn with a back badge as well, again, I can't remember details but it would presumably have been the larger bi-metal version worn on the blue Home Service helmet, again I would think with a slider fitting
I may be off target with this.

Ole' Yellow will know about it all I should think.

[Karpathian]

Pics of mine Pith Helm.

Interior is quite similar with ebay's one.













Polish oficer in N.Africa with this kind of helmet ...

[leigh kitchen]

The helmet in the link is a Wolsely Helmet, the one pictured on this thread is the Pith Helmet or Pith Hat which I referred to in my earlier post.

[cbuehler]

This is a private purchase officers helmet of the ww2 era. The Gloster's badge was probably just stuck on for looks as during this era and even before most units used varieties of colored cloth "flashes" usually found on the side of the pugarree.
This is the Wolsley style of helmet, although there were many others used as shown in the photos by the other posters, such as the Cawnpore tent club styles that are usually very thick and quilted. All these types were found in service during the 30's and into the war, although the only official war department issue for enlisted men was the Wolsley which had the broad arrow and markings. There were some different styles broad arrow marked from Indian suppliers during the war that seem to have been limited to use in that CIB area.

Conrad

[leigh kitchen]

The Glosters are shown in an illustration in one of Mike Chappells publications as wearing a metal back badge on the pith helmet during WWII, don't know which book or whether a badge would be worn on the front as well, or a side flash.

Just had a squint at British Army Uniforms & Insignia of World War Two by B L Davis, He quotes Clothing Regs (India) 1939 as giving insignia worn on the pith helmet by the Glosters as just the gilding metal back badge, worn unpolished.