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  #1  
Old 30-06-22, 06:13 PM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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Default Airborne insignia blue square number 68
Hello everybody,
I dare to contact you to know if somebody can identify this insignia on an airborne helmet on the left side.
It is a blue square with number 68
Many many thanks for your help
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  #2  
Old 30-06-22, 07:09 PM
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grey_green_acorn grey_green_acorn is offline
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68 is a high number but possibly for one of the Royal Engineer Field Companies of an Airborne Division?

White numbers in the 40-50 range on cobalt blue squares were used on Battle Dress and as vehicle markings by RE Field and Field Park Companies in Armoured and Infantry Divisions during WW2.

Tim

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Last edited by grey_green_acorn; 30-06-22 at 07:30 PM.
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  #3  
Old 30-06-22, 07:58 PM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn View Post
68 is a high number but possibly for one of the Royal Engineer Field Companies of an Airborne Division?

White numbers in the 40-50 range on cobalt blue squares were used on Battle Dress and as vehicle markings by RE Field and Field Park Companies in Armoured and Infantry Divisions during WW2.

Tim

Tim
Thanks Tim. Do you think it is a WW2 marking?
It is on an airborne helmet Mk2
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  #4  
Old 01-07-22, 05:43 AM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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Hello,
No more informations or idea about this marking ?
Many thanks for your help
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  #5  
Old 01-07-22, 07:26 AM
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The Markings I described for the RE Field Companies were introduced during WW2 but that 68 helmet marking could have done post war to represent something else.

Tim
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  #6  
Old 01-07-22, 12:29 PM
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Looking at “Warpaint - Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles” Volume 3 by Dick Taylor there are extensive tables showing ‘Serial/Code numbers’ used on vehicles by units in different formations. Numbers varied between formations and provided a limited level of operational security in protecting unit identities. The ‘decode’ list was used by for example Military Police when controlling traffic and convoys.

From the above is seems that 68 appears on green, brown and black squares but not on blue and was used during WW2 and through until the mid 1950s.

So your helmet with 68 on blue remains a mystery.
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  #7  
Old 01-07-22, 12:41 PM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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Many thanks Tim for your great help and kind response
But I suspect this airborne helmet to be a Canadian one
So perhaps markings are different ?
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  #8  
Old 01-07-22, 10:47 PM
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Hello,

Canadian markings were very similar to the British - 68 was the second battalion of the third infantry or parachute brigade of an infantry or airborne division. It appears on a brown background.

Even in later schemes used by the British, 68 was a close support regiment Royal Artillery, on a red over blue background. For corps troops it designated the Commander Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers on a background of blue, yellow and red.

It doesn't mean of course that there weren't anomalies!

Keith
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  #9  
Old 01-07-22, 10:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marievictor View Post
Hello everybody,
I dare to contact you to know if somebody can identify this insignia on an airborne helmet on the left side.
It is a blue square with number 68
Many many thanks for your help
Or could this be GB rather than 68 ?
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  #10  
Old 02-07-22, 05:40 AM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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Many thanks for your response
Helmet comes from Canada.
For sure it could be GB instead of 68
It is 100% original for sure but stay a mystery for me.
Dated 1944 on leather band
Many thanks again for your help
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  #11  
Old 02-07-22, 05:41 AM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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photo from helmet
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  #12  
Old 05-07-22, 05:33 AM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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No more opinions about this marking ?
Many thanks
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  #13  
Old 05-07-22, 08:14 AM
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Perhaps a mark to indicate an individual trainee on a parachute course?

Tim
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  #14  
Old 05-07-22, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by marievictor View Post
No more opinions about this marking ?
Many thanks
Have you tried contacting the "1st Canadian Parachute Battalion" virtual museum ?

https://1stcanparamuseum.com/

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  #15  
Old 05-07-22, 11:11 AM
marievictor marievictor is offline
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No but I will contact them.
Many thanks
Greetings
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