Home Front helmets of WWII

[2 Black Bands]

That's a nice one. I don't do Home Guard helmets but I've seen a lot...but never this badge. Thank you for sharing.

'any more coming?

[Rob Miller]

Very nice.

Rob

[leigh kitchen]

Thanks for the image of such a helmet in wear - I'd not seen one before.

[ARPCDHG]

Royal Fusiliers = City of London HG.

[leigh kitchen]

Thanks - I checked through (online "research") RF HG battalions a couple of years ago trying to determine which would have worn the transfer, some or all but made no progress. I would imagine that these helmets appear in quite a few photographs of the time.
The seller had it listed as a WWI Grenadier Guards helmet as I recall, I advised her it was WWII RF HG and was pleased to win it.

[Rob Miller]

There was an interesting Birmingham Small Arms helmet on ebay this week described as WW2.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-Briti...53.m1438.l2649

The wording on the decal seems odd though, in 1953 the company name changed from "BSA Cycles Ltd" to "BSA Motor Cycles Ltd", so if this is genuine it may be post 1949 Industrial Civil Defence Corps?

Rob

[2 Black Bands]

..good spot.....Company name changes are often reflected in the helmets themselves...6 years is a long time in business and things changed....but a post-war name is something else.

Here's a close up of a recent addition...Industrial ARP Chief Fire Officer (2 red bands, "CFO" in red, blah blah) but underneath the top coat is a transfer...shield-shaped with a single "F" and a bar above the shield. One can only assume the Shield was applied before the fire brigade was Industrial ARP'd-up (I think that's a verb)...and the bar may have been a rank identifier.......may, might, if, but...I know, I know but you gotta start somewhere!


...or was it a Company name that started with "F"...or was it Freds helmet....

[leigh kitchen]

If you were of the mind set of some collectors of WWII era German helmets youd've carefully removed the paint necessary to reveal the original markings in all their glory (and thereby ruined the helmet of course).

[2 Black Bands]

True.....and I was 51:49 against.....the CFO ranking is the highest in the force so there is likely to be one per company (1 or 2) and the marking is nice in this case BUT had it been rough I’ll be the first to admit that a bit of stripping / scratching might’ve followed. I can see what the badge contains....I just can’t see the colours...you never know, one day I may be walking past it as I’m carrying a small screwdriver in an irresponsible way........ :-)

I find these “ghost” markings the most interesting....they reveal the impact of rule / role changes...... I know it’s not exactly pit-digging with tiny brushes but to me it’s paint-deep archeology......

[leigh kitchen]

It's part of the story - these things get "cleaned up', its history revealed, history lost.
I suppose if you have the contacts who have access to the necessary equipment you can "see" through the layers of paint (the best I've ever managed is to run an item through an x-ray machine to check a royal cypher hidden by leather work).
Apart from the WWII German helmets (someone hoping to find a transfer that means they can sell the lid for £1000 instead of £200 etc) the helmets that seem most prone to paint removal are the Irish 'Vickers" helmets, the Civil Defence white paint being stripped to reveal the original green-black army finish.

[JerryBB]

I have added a few more to my collection over the last few months which I don't think I shared.

[leigh kitchen]

Seeing any of these just reminds me of all the helmets I could've should've got for pennies years ago. They're nice little pieces of history.
What's that last one Jerry, the insignia's ringing bells from a thread somewhere on this forum?

[JerryBB]

And my expanding NFS helmets.

Even with just five the variations can be seen, one raw edge, one with no NFS decal but does have traces of AFS on the rear,one with the decals in an unusual location, one with traces of two district decals but both with the number not showing -which is bloody annoying as it is from district 22, the only erlsh district I don't have- two with rank bands, one redand one blue and traces of a rank pip.

PS if anyone has or sees a district 22 for sale please let me know.

[JerryBB]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Seeing any of these just reminds me of all the helmets I could've should've got for pennies years ago. They're nice little pieces of history.
What's that last one Jerry, the insignia's ringing bells from a thread somewhere on this forum?

Leigh, the last pair is Mills Foundry Llanisloes where I got them from, the one is quite rubbed but can be seen as to what it is when next to the other with the good condition markings.

[leigh kitchen]

It's great when provenance from insignia can be that specific.