Hi there, I recently visited my great uncle who is 90 something now. He got me clearing out between the rafters of his house and encased in a wasps nest were these helmets. He remembers putting them there but couldn't tell me anything about them. He gave them all to me as I have a growing interest and collection of war items. I am struggling to ascertain if these helmets are world war era or postwar and what type of helmets they are (If they are anything particular as he seemed to think one was a snipers helmet). The two that I believe to be American M1 helmets from looking at them and comparing them to this http://www.ebay.com/...78127020/g.html I can now say both have rear seams. They also both have swivel bails. But as they are just metal shells I don't know how the strap would have been attached. There are numbers within one helmet shell saying 2212 and then the other helmet shell 1 (space) 7585. The one marked 2212 does have what seems to be a stress mark to the rear and also paint cracking on the rim but the rim is rusty so can't determine original colour of the metal. In regards to the other 3 helmets one has JU 1939 stamped in it but I don't know anything else about them. I would be very grateful if you could tell me anything about any of the helmets and how I can attach pictures of about 2.4mb each as at the moment it will only let me attach photos of 500kb. I can email pictures to people if they want me to just drop me your email. Many many thanks Andrew
Thanks, see if this works http://s571.photobucket.com/user/atl1996/library/?sort=3&page=1 If that link has worked you should be able to see the images. Many thanks Andrew
Well , it seems you got yourself a couple of U.S. m1 shells (no liners) and three British (or Canadian?) Mk helmets (Brodies). There is a date on the liner (on one the three black spars under the leather) . To be noticed the U.S. used similar helmets until 1942 , but they had a different liner and a leahter chin strap .
Thanks! I have found the date of 1938 on the liner you speak of, above the date it says VERO and 6 3/4, on another spar it has a symbol with a circle with a arrow through it with 536 below it. I have also found stamped on the bail II / 1938. (see link). On another Brodie helmet it says BM1 on a spar. On the final Brodie helmet it also has writing on one spar. It says 7 1/4 followed by M & C and below that the number 39. I have a few questions now. Firstly how would I differentiate between a British and a Canadian helmet? What were the helmets used for, for example infantry? sniper as my great uncle thought? or home guards etc? As the 1938 helmet is pre ww2 what would it's use have been? Are the M1 helmets ww2? http://s571.photobucket.com/user/atl1996/library/?sort=3&page=1 Many many thanks Andrew
The" broad arrow" is indeed the symbol of the Brtish army. Commonwealth countries have a variant of it. VERO is the maker and 536 could be the worker who was in charge of this helmet . The 1939 date fits http://www.treasurebunker.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1514 Vero 2 = Everett.W.Vero & Co London.........................1937 - 1944 6 3/4 is the size ( for a rather average chap )
Thank you very much for your help, it is much appreciated! Is there any way in telling what their use was. As i say my uncle thought one would be a snipers helmet but I don't know what variation that may make on a helmet. Also do you think the M1 helmets are ww2? Many thanks Andrew
Considering they are just two shells without any markings, I don't think there is a way to find out which duty the owner had.
No. It may be that when your great uncle acquired the helmets he knew or was told that one of them was a snipers helmet. There was nothing to mark them as such. Snipers in particular were often shot out of hand if captured, so surely they wouldn't want their helmets marked.