Lets see your favorite worn Canadian/Commonwealth helmets with nice aged patina

Gents to me there is nothing more pleasing than adding a new helmet to my collection and I am a sucker for examples that are either a little salty,field worn or have a nice used patina about them here are a couple of favorites from my collection the first up is a 1942 C.L./C. that has been brush over painted in a desert tan it has taken on a nice deep rich patina due to natural aging handling and use.




The second one is a bit of an odd duck it is a 1940 RO&CO that was used post war by the Norwegians there are still remnants of the lion and shield decal on the front which makes it very odd as most of the time this flash is seen mounted on the side the other odd bit on this helmet is it is sporting a Greek post war refitted liner there has been some discussion this helmet may have ended finishing it's service life in Greece I bought this one because I loved the well worn patina on the shell.





Regards Mark

How about this one: RASC

Or this one: RCAMC

Both well used and left behind in Holland.
The Canadian one had a repaint in a somewhat darker shade of green

My helmet with a flash from the Van Doos. The shell is marked Fisher and Ludlow 1940 and you can still see a two  tone camouflage.

Van Doos

believe this is possibly a Free French helmet, not 100% sure , has a flash on either side and remains of a yellow marking on the front,

front

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this one is British made early 50's, interesting heavy texture camo, green/olive chinstrap

RASC British, sorry have shown this one before,

Nice one Van doos, I think I've seen this one before 

Hi Lorne!

Yes it's the same.   

Thanks Gents some mighty fine lids being shown here this is one more from my collection a 42 C.L./C. flashed to the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers IMO the helmet was used post war.


This one has been banged about some but is still one of my favorites 41 C.L./C. flashed to the Regimental Police



Regards Mark

From the 1960s.

Nice helmet ED I would consider this one a top shelf item in my collection  

Regards Mark

Tunic came with but here is the helmet. I just wish I could find the photos of the regiment in action with same helmet camo.

A very intresting Mk II indeed love the striped camo pattern  
Thanks for posting your examples as well gate flashed Mk II's are getting quite scarce

Regards Mark

I almost never see flashed examples here in Western Canada Gate.

Regards Mark

Cameraguy wrote:Tunic came with but here is the helmet. I just wish I could find the photos of the regiment in action with same helmet camo.

You must have moved this on some time ago as I have added this Mk II to my collection and it came with a 43 dated BD to the 5 Canadian LAA with canvas divy patches thought to have been used in Italy and or SW Europe.

Regards Mark

Hey Mark.! Yes sir,it is no longer in my collection. Glad you got the set,it is a nice few pieces.

There are quite a few period images of this particular swirl camo pattern being used in Italy,S,W, Europe and Sicily by units of the British Army but I have as of yet not been able to find period evidence that supports this particular pattern was ever adopted by The Canadian Army in the ETO and or the Mediterranean theater of operations  .
This of course is not to say that this Mk II was not used by a Canadian soldier as anything is possible won it in a crap game, bought from a Brit serviceman,battlefield pickup,possibly it was part of a trade between soldiers there are endless scenarios all speculation of course.
It is a very interesting Mk II the helmet body it self is British and was produced by EC&CO Ltd and is dated 1940 it is sporting a 1942 VMC liner and a Canadian war time issued chinstrap and as previously mentioned came with a 43 dated BD flashed to the RCA 5 LAA the unit saw active service in Italy .
The image below is thought to have been taken in Sicily notice the similarity in the pattern with a much darker tone being used.


Regards Mark

kozowy1967 wrote:There are quite a few period images of this particular swirl camo pattern being used in Italy,S,W, Europe and Sicily by units of the British Army but I have as of yet not been able to find period evidence that supports this particular pattern was ever adopted by The Canadian Army in the ETO and or the Mediterranean theater of operations  .
This of course is not to say that this Mk II was not used by a Canadian soldier as anything is possible won it in a crap game, bought from a Brit serviceman,battlefield pickup,possibly it was part of a trade between soldiers there are endless scenarios all speculation of course.
It is a very interesting Mk II the helmet body it self is British and was produced by EC&CO Ltd and is dated 1940 it is sporting a 1942 VMC liner and a Canadian war time issued chinstrap and as previously mentioned came with a 43 dated BD flashed to the RCA 5 LAA the unit saw active service in Italy .
The image below is thought to have been taken in Sicily notice the similarity in the pattern with a much darker tone being used.


Regards Mark

Hi Mark!

I have in my collection a British MKII helmet with a flash of the Van Doos. The helmet shell is 1940 dated and it's british made. You ould see the same camo pattern ( I think it was call Mickey Mousse pattern ). Tow different tone of green paint was use to create the pattern. I know it's difficul to see it on the picture.

I have no picture of these helmet in use by the Van Doos in Sicily or in Italy but it was use in England at the biginnig of the war. In the book '' Le Royal 22e Régiment'' from Serge Bernier, you could see a picture taken in Englan in 1940 during a excersise and most of the man in the picture carried the same helmet.






Van Doos

Morning Van Doos I have seen your Mk II before and rather like it myself as to it being used in country early on in 1940 I consider this only one possibility you are of course referring to the quite times otherwise known as the Phoney War.
I agree at this time there was a lot of experimentation going on in country with different camo patterns the Mickey Mouse Pattern only being one and a good many different colors being experimented with as well the colors that were used are a pretty good indicator of what theater of operations the camo was intended for I am not completely convinced though that this pattern did not see service in the actual ETO .
As I can show a few period images to support that this particular pattern or one very close to it was used by Canadian Soldiers with in a few days of the D-day beach landings It would be extremely helpful if they were in color of course but such is life I am still researching patterns and colors that were adopted by the Canadian Army so it is on going here is one such image I found taken on Juno Beach and IMO would have been taken with in days of the D-day beach landing.  

Well we are on the subjects of Camos here is another that I recently acquired from a member of the forum as part of a trade it is a 1941 dated C.L./C. steel lot batch # 33 it is sporting a 1940 dated VMC liner in a size 6 3/4 .



Regards Mark

kozowy1967 wrote:There are quite a few period images of this particular swirl camo pattern being used in Italy,S,W, Europe and Sicily by units of the British Army but I have as of yet not been able to find period evidence that supports this particular pattern was ever adopted by The Canadian Army in the ETO and or the Mediterranean theater of operations  .
This of course is not to say that this Mk II was not used by a Canadian soldier as anything is possible won it in a crap game, bought from a Brit serviceman,battlefield pickup,possibly it was part of a trade between soldiers there are endless scenarios all speculation of course.
It is a very interesting Mk II the helmet body it self is British and was produced by EC&CO Ltd and is dated 1940 it is sporting a 1942 VMC liner and a Canadian war time issued chinstrap and as previously mentioned came with a 43 dated BD flashed to the RCA 5 LAA the unit saw active service in Italy .
The image below is thought to have been taken in Sicily notice the similarity in the pattern with a much darker tone being used.


Regards Mark

I had a picture of this helmet being worn by Canadians in England doing coastal duty. I will try to find and post it asap.

Thanx I would love to see it nothing beats period images.

Regards Mark