Hi to All
Just found some days ago at Rouen from a man of who kept it since 73 years (he was 14 in 1944), this nice Beach group MKII was far from its first landing point, Sword Beach but plausible as some members of the Beach Group, who joined different invasion British units after that the Beach tasks were ended, helped to rebuilt the harbour of Rouen after the liberation during around 6 month from September 1944 until beginning of 1945.
A Beach group helmet is always desirable but that one have something special that I firstly took for a kind of spot or a badly painted "3" maybe a "S" but after looking closely I realised that it was a painted "seahorse" with the same design as the insignia of the 27th British Armoured Brigade, equipped with Sherman Duplex Drive tanks, landed on Sword Beach, June 6, 1944 and supported by N°6 Beach Group units.
A Beach Group helmet with added insignia is already quite scarce but that one particularly I presume...a good catch indeed.
Best to All
Thierry
(This helmet has been thoroughly dusted by its previous owner but without disassembly and looks oiled but is not, the photos taken with a setting sun give it a brighter appearance than it actually has)
The 27th Independant Armoured Brigade SeaHorse insignia
Inside...liner have been covered by French 40's newspapers to protect the head from the "sticking" liner fabric (I already saw this on British/Canadian WWII Helmets)
Shell ROCO 1940 with Liner TTC 1940
Just found some days ago at Rouen from a man of who kept it since 73 years (he was 14 in 1944), this nice Beach group MKII was far from its first landing point, Sword Beach but plausible as some members of the Beach Group, who joined different invasion British units after that the Beach tasks were ended, helped to rebuilt the harbour of Rouen after the liberation during around 6 month from September 1944 until beginning of 1945.
A Beach group helmet is always desirable but that one have something special that I firstly took for a kind of spot or a badly painted "3" maybe a "S" but after looking closely I realised that it was a painted "seahorse" with the same design as the insignia of the 27th British Armoured Brigade, equipped with Sherman Duplex Drive tanks, landed on Sword Beach, June 6, 1944 and supported by N°6 Beach Group units.
A Beach Group helmet with added insignia is already quite scarce but that one particularly I presume...a good catch indeed.
Best to All
Thierry
(This helmet has been thoroughly dusted by its previous owner but without disassembly and looks oiled but is not, the photos taken with a setting sun give it a brighter appearance than it actually has)
The 27th Independant Armoured Brigade SeaHorse insignia
Inside...liner have been covered by French 40's newspapers to protect the head from the "sticking" liner fabric (I already saw this on British/Canadian WWII Helmets)
Shell ROCO 1940 with Liner TTC 1940
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