Royal Armoured Corp Tankers Helmet, Helmet, Steel, RAC, Mk 2

[GregN]

Hi all, I'm not sure where to place this so we'll try here in the Militaria Section. Yesterday I picked up this great Royal Armoured Corps Mk.2 Steel (Helmet Steel, No. 4) helmet with a painted MP on the front. It appears that both Canadian and British tankers wore this helmet and that it remained in service with Canadian forces until well after the war. The liner is the lift-the-dot type and dated 1945. The chinstrap is also dated 1945 and is the Mark 2 version with the quick release.

The helmet has been over painted an olive green over the original sand textured dark olive drab. The MP is in white letters 4 cm X 4 cm. The interior is the original dark olive drab. The only mark on the lid is F 09 while the liner is marked BS 1945 and 7 1/2. The chinstrap is also marked but I can only read the 1945 date.

I ‘m tempted to gently clean the newer paint off to reveal the MP underneath but I’ll resist that temptation. It’s bad enough that I cleaned the filth out of it.

Cheers,

Greg

[Voltigeur]

Great catch Greg.
Congrats.
Jo

[GregN]

Thanks Jo, I've always wanted the 3 versions of the helmet, dispatch rider, para and tanker. Roger Lucy's "Tin Lids" book has been a great help in knowing what I have and need. Unfortunately, helmets take up lots of space while hat badges do not so my focus has always been on the badge side

Cheers,

Greg

[Eddie Parks]

Really nice helmet! I've only ever seen one strap like that before - I had one which I think I found in my troop store c 1970 and wore on my RAC style helmet. I never knew they belonged together. I also fitted it with a much more moderen knitted liner. I wore it until well after the modern kelvar helmets were introduced.

Eddie

[Michael Reintjes]

Great find there, especially with the MP Paint...I have a Kriegsmarine helmet that had the decal painted over post war so I had it carefully removed revealling a great navy decal....my dad was the offending painter in the 50's after he came to Canada.
Here is my RAC Helmet.It was found in a Dutch barn south of Delfzijl a few years back.It had the soldiers name and number printed in the rim.Turns out the Tpr was from The Governor General's Horse Guards of the 5th Cdn Armoured Division which was fighting in the area in pursuit of retreating German forces in 1945. I especially like the German helmet strap that is attached to it BMB 1943.A neat helmet that saw alot o service all through Italy and Northwest Europe only to be lost in a Dutch Barn.

[sailorbear]

Originally Posted by GregN

Thanks Jo, I've always wanted the 3 versions of the helmet, dispatch rider, para and tanker. Roger Lucy's "Tin Lids" book has been a great help in knowing what I have and need. Unfortunately, helmets take up lots of space while hat badges do not so my focus has always been on the badge side

Cheers,

Greg

Hi, There are actually 4 versions of this helmet as a near identicle pattern with either an elastic or webbing chinstrap were used by the RAF Regiment, Royal Marines and the Royal Navy!

Regards Tony

[edstorey]

The RAC Helmet can be found in two marks, the distinguishing feature being that the Mk II has the removeable liner with the 'Lift the Dot' centre fastener.

The Chinstrap comes in three marks, the first being the complicated internal spring and elastic version seen on early British and all Canadian Mk II helmets. The second Mk II version is all elastic and can be found in either khaki drill or on later versions olive drab and finally there is the Mk III version with the quick release.

Here is a Mk II RAC Helmet with a Mk II Chinstrap in khaki drill.



Here is a Mk II RAC Helmet with a Mk II Chinstrap in olive drab. Many of these saw post-WWII service with the RN and used to be very common.



Here is an example of a Mk II RAC Helmet with a Mk III Chinstrap.



Here is a Canadian Mk II Helmet with a Mk I Chinstrap.

[edstorey]

Here are images of the Airborne



and Dispatch Rider helmets that use a similar shell like that used on the RAC Helmet.