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British & Commonwealth WW1 & WW2 Brodie Helmet Maker Stamps


leon21

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Hi Dustyvon, the original lining securing bolt for the MK1 helmet had a habit of coming loose causing the liner to spin inside the helmet shell.

A redesigned bolt with a longer screw thread of 9.37mm compared to 7.8mm was introduced this nut called the " Simmonds Elastic Stop Nut"

Made by Messers Nevilles ( Liverpool ) Ltd. The nut was made of brass and contained a rubber washer which stopped the bolt from coming loose.

Below is a photo of the rubber washer in place, not sure if you can buy these now but there are repro ones on sale on the net in all brass.

Hope this helps.

 

 

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4771E51A-DC3F-427F-AAAD-6890EDF546FD.jpeg.c4783c333bc3daae5c0b4ef03c9a8404[1].jpg

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Thanks, that's a useful pic as I wasn't quite sure which type I was looking for. There are a number of originals kicking around at the moment so I might just try and pick up one of those.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello,

I'm hoping that someone could help me identify this brodie helmet. As far as I know, it belonged to my Great-Grandfather who served in Salonika during WWI (Army Service Corps). I've been informed (by one user on a different forum) that the helmet is in fact late 1930s, which confused me as no one on my grandfather's side of the family served in this era. I'm particularly interested in the insignia - does anyone recognise it? Perhaps, this is not a helmet that would've been used in a climate such as Salonika (a plinth?), but I'm eager to find out about its story.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

IMG_20200701_091646 (3).jpg

IMG_20200628_205442.jpg

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IMG_20200701_234119.jpg

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Hello RSP, welcome. First of all, Leon is probably the best one to answer your question, however I can say that the helmet shown is not from WW1. Again, not an expert, but the insignia, blue and red diamond appears to be that of Royal Artillery, a green and red diamond would be for the Army Service Corps (ASC). 

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9 hours ago, Gildwiller1918 said:

Hello RSP, welcome. First of all, Leon is probably the best one to answer your question, however I can say that the helmet shown is not from WW1. Again, not an expert, but the insignia, blue and red diamond appears to be that of Royal Artillery, a green and red diamond would be for the Army Service Corps (ASC). 

Hi Gildwiller, thank you for your welcome and help - it's greatly appreciated. I can't hide my disappointment to hear that, but it makes it all the more interesting to learn more about it. I'm at a loss as to where it's come from; my grandfather was born in 1926 and served in the navy (post WWII), and his father, who I thought it belonged to, was discharged from the ASC in 1919.

Very grateful to anyone who could shed more light on its origins! Thanks.

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Welcome RSP, can you tell me if there are any rivets holding the chin strap lugs or showing on the outside of the helmet shell rim.

From the photo's I can't tell if there are any.

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Hi Leon,

Thanks for your response. There are two pins (on each side) coming through from the outer shell, which fold down to hold the lug strap in place. Please see images attached.

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At first glance I would say this is not a British made helmet most likely made by one of the allied countries of the 30s or 40s looking at

the type of liner and the chin strap lugs. The shell could well have been refurbished at some stage and repainted over what looks like

the original textured sand colour, it may have seen  service post war it's hard to tell it's been so heavily over painted.

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My thoughts as well Leon, I have seen some WW2 era South African helmets with similar chin strap attachments. 

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Thank you both Leon and Gildwiller - I appreciate your help in trying to identify it. After a quick Google search on South African WWII helmets, there is a close resemblance to the one shown in this link: http://brendonshelmets.weebly.com/south-africa-mkii.html#

There are three holes punched into the rear of the shell, too - apparently used to fix a neck flap. Upon looking at it closely, it definitely looks to have been repainted, like you say.

As for how it came into my family, the only thing I can think of is that my grandfather may have acquired it whilst serving in the navy, refurbished it, and given it to his father... Conjecture at best unfortunately.

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Have you checked the cross band of the liner it should be stamped Jager Rand  with a arrow inside a letter U and dated.

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Hi Leon,

I've checked the cross band, and it does say Jager Rand (1942). The writing was so faint, it took me quite a while to spot it - had to wipe it with a cloth. That settles it then!

Thank you for your help in identifying it - much appreciated.

Robert.

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Here we have a WW1 British made helmet by Miris Steel of London both Steel Supplier and Manufacturer, has been reused by the

AFS during WW2 and repainted red on the outside, still has it's original liner and chin strap.

Photo's from other sources.

AFS (1).jpg

AFS (2).jpg

AFS (3).jpg

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Can you post some images of the stamp, as well as the liner and attachments? If the only stamp is a 7A, it could be a M1917A1 shell, but that is a guess until I see more.

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Welcome to the forum Perezgp, I would say that is the heat stamp mark of the M1917a1 helmet called the Kelly Helmet missing

Its liner made in the late 1930s to early 1940s by the McCord Radiator Co like Gildwiller1918 said.

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I concur with Leon, it does appear to be a M1917A1 Kelly helmet. Initially WW1 era helmets were used with the new liner for this helmet. I have seen both US and British helmets from WW1 with the Kelly liners. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's a ww2 private purchase Fiber/Cardboard Brodie style helmet called the Cromwell Protector which had a leather

or rubberised chinstrap, this one I spotted on the web has a gas netting cover attachment minus its net, this type of device

I've not seen before so know little about it.

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Interesting helmet, I found that the patent #429732, dated 1935. The patent was granted to Helmets & Helmets Ltd, Cromwell Works, Wheathampstead. I have read that sometimes dates can be found on the chinstrap lugs.

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After a little research I think that the cover is a Anti Gas Cover used by the Civil Defence and would have had a neck flap.

Here's a photo of what it would look like.

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Here we have a ww2 helmet no maker marks visible but chin strap lugs dated 1942, has a FFL II liner = Fisher Foil Ltd dated 1941

Has Polish insignia on front of helmet.

Polish (1).jpg

Polish (2).jpg

Polish (3).jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Here's a WW1 British made helmet stamped D/O 286 = James Dixon & Sons Ltd of Sheffield ( Manufacturer ) and Samuel

Osborne & Co Ltd of Sheffield ( Supplier ) with Heat/Batch No 286. Still has its original liner and chinstrap in very good condition.

Photo's from other sources.

DO 286 (1).jpg

DO 286 (2).jpg

DO 286 (3).jpg

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Here's a British made helmet stamped FS 157 = Thomas Firth & Sons Ltd of Sheffield both ( Manufacturer & Steel Supplier ).

With Heat/Batch No 157, still has its original liner and chinstrap in very good condition for its age.

Photo's from other sources.

FS 157 (2).jpg

FS 157 (1).jpg

FS 157 (3).jpg

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