Another British para-helmet question?

[RodneyO]

Aloha All,
How accurate are documentaries on WW2? I have a WW2 British para-helmet that some say in my earlier posting that these are post-war (Australian conversions) because of the web chinstraps and extra holes on the rear of the helmet. I just notice in the DVD “BATTLELINE” Part Two: 1943-1945, Disc Two: Arnheim-1944, that the British Paratroopers are clearly using v-web chinstraps. Also in the book “British Parachute Force 1940-45, on page 17, you can see the v-web chinstrap being used, caption reads: “Airborne troops pinned down by heavy German fire beside their crashed glider east of the Rhine on 25th March 1945”. It also states (page 25) that web chinstrap replaced the leather ones because of perspiration effecting the leather chinstraps.
How can one tell between a wartime para-helmet with web chinstraps and a post-war one? I had great help earlier about it being a post-war Australian conversion re-issued para-helmet but now after seeing the DVD "BATTLELINE: Arnheim, I’m not sure. I'm now praying that this might have a chance of being a wartime para-helmet.
Mahalo,
Rodney

[jelle]

Hi Rodney

the helmet you have is a original 1942 fibre rim para helmet,that saddly was converted by the austrlian army postwar.The leather chinstraps were removed and replaced by web chinstraps that came from the 1943/72 dated mk3 parahelmet[different shell that has no fibre rim].Its these later mk3 helmets you see in the documanteries,not converted fibre rim helmets.To make the web chinstrap fit on these earlier shells a hole was drilled between the two bolts that held the leather chinstraps.As finding original leather chinstraps to get it back to its original configuration is next to impossible and the shell damaged by the extra hole they are not as valuable as a complete helmet.Many of these helmets were on ebay coming from australia a few years back,doing around 500dollars i believe.If you need more info,I can send you some links with pictures.

Hope this helps
Johan

[RodneyO]

Mahalo Johan,
So these are post-war WW2 British para-helmets that were converted for the Australian forces after the war. The guys that helped me on a thread I posted earlier (about my helmet) were right, but my hopes were high when I saw the Arnheim documentary and that the web chinstraps were being used but never notice if they had the fiber rims or not. You described my helmet perfectly.

The book mentioned that the British replaced the leather chinstraps (effected by perspiration) with the web chinstraps and again my hopes were high. I just assumed they just drilled the center hole and added the D-ring on any para- (early or late) helmet they had at the time. Like you said, these para-helmets were popping up on ebay within the last year or two, but I had this one for more that 20+ years.
If you can PM me any information and links, that would be greatly appreciated. I just want to put this helmet to rest, and move on with just what it is, a sadly post-war converted Australian Arm Forces helmet.

Aloha,
Rodney