1980s Special Jump Helmet

[Darrell]

Agree with Infanteer.

Other than the missing nape pad, the rig is the same as mine.

As for the last jump helmet, perhaps I should have been more clear. Sorry if you took it to be me saying my word was law in that last post. Not so. Clearly I wrote only of seeing this type of helmet in use twice. Hardly forcing anyone to jump to a conclusion. This was hauled out and placed on the head of the retiree for his jump. He did NOT own it or keep it afterwards. Just something used for the "ceremony". It was an item that appeared to be hauled out when needed. Could have well been a CAR WO&Sgts Mess item.

As well, speaking with a few old jumper friends, the one in Edmonton did not have a badge that they recalled (whereas I do) and there were extra large loops welded to the side (and chromed too) for attachment to the suspension lines in the flight mock-up. I do remember that.

regards
Darrell

Week 1: separate the men from the boys
Week 2 separate the fools from the men
...Week 3, the fools jump.

[Seaforth Highlander]

This forum signed me off and dumped my long reply. ...
:-(

I now have this helmet. Airborne liner removes easily when you know how and it is nearly mint. No name on it. Steel helmet is front seam, swivel bale, airborne helmet. Shell stamped code 357D.

I spoke with two retired officers of Cdn AB Regt and neither remembers ever seeing a chromed helmet like this.

Conclusions:
* Likely unofficial e.g. not worn on parades, not even for Colour Parties.
* Might be a retirement present (a chromed 105mm shell and casing with engraving and attached RCA badge was presented to former Regimental Commander Don Rochester of the Cdn AB Regt.)
* Might be a Mess item. In my regiment we had a helmet that was put onto the culprit's head when anyone started to tell "war stories" in the Officers' Mess.
* Might be privately made up.

Colin
Associate member of BorneWest
Collector of WWII Canadian special unit items (e.g. 1 Cdn Para Bn, FSSF and post-WWII Cdn SAS Coy)

Originally Posted by Darrell

Agree with Infanteer.

Other than the missing nape pad, the rig is the same as mine.

As for the last jump helmet, perhaps I should have been more clear. Sorry if you took it to be me saying my word was law in that last post. Not so. Clearly I wrote only of seeing this type of helmet in use twice. Hardly forcing anyone to jump to a conclusion. This was hauled out and placed on the head of the retiree for his jump. He did NOT own it or keep it afterwards. Just something used for the "ceremony". It was an item that appeared to be hauled out when needed. Could have well been a CAR WO&Sgts Mess item.

As well, speaking with a few old jumper friends, the one in Edmonton did not have a badge that they recalled (whereas I do) and there were extra large loops welded to the side (and chromed too) for attachment to the suspension lines in the flight mock-up. I do remember that.

regards
Darrell

Week 1: separate the men from the boys
Week 2 separate the fools from the men
...Week 3, the fools jump.

[Seaforth Highlander]

As a collector of Canadian special unit items (mainly for WWII), I bought this chromed U.S. pattern parachute helmet with a chromed Canadian Airborne Regiment badge mounted on the front from Greg. By undoing the two side snaps, the liner was removed and examined. There were no names or special markings on it.

When I approached Bornewest (Canadian Airborne veterans in BC) for information on it, they were eventually able to identify it as having been presented to Colonel Don H. Rochester, OBE. I did not hear the details but I suspect it was when he stepped down as the First Regimental Commander of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. He was CO for 2 years, 1968-1970. In the end he had a reported 1,500 parachute jumps (military and civilian). Bornewest wanted to buy the helmet and so I sold it to them for use in their little "museum" corner at CMEC in Chilliwack.

Col. Rochester's belongings had vanished after he died about 12 years ago but this year they started turning up at a garage sale and gun shows. A "picker" found me (Colin MacGregor Stevens) through the Internet and I ended up buying Colonel Rochester's 11 medals from him along with berets, badges (WWII, Korea, UNEF etc.) etc. The majority of these items were then sold to Bornewest at cost.

At another one of our gun shows, a friend had a chromed 105mm artillery shell that was engraved as having been presented to Colonel Rochester by the Canadian Airborne Battery. I told Bornewest about it and they purchased it as well. By a strange coincidence the shell was passed on to them via another friend who happens to live in Chilliwack on Rochester Avenue, presumably named after Colonel Rochester who had been a Base Commander at the now defunct Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack.

Colin MacGregor Stevens
Richmond, BC, Canada

Originally Posted by GregN

Hi Guys, I'm hoping that there are some exAirborne guys within the Forum that can shed some light on this chromed jump helmet that I've just picked up. It appears to be late 1980s era and rigged in a unique way. The helmet is chromed with a Canadian Airborne badge welded to the front. The liner is set up in such a way that I can't easily remove it to see if there is anything on the outside of the liner. I'm guessing this is an award helmet that was meant to be used to draw attention to a particularly good, or bad trooper during a jump.

I hope someone can fill me in.

Regards,

Greg

[GregN]

Way to go Colin on doing the research to establish provenance.

Greg