Mk II helmet with service number?

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I have two questions, actually: first, is the C290 written on the lid the service number of its original owner? And, secondly, do you think the net is the correct type for a WWII Canadian helmet?

Thank you for your replies!

Hi Didier

I cannot say about the net.

The number C290 could possibly be a Canadian Army Regimental Number of the owner. C1 to C1000 numbers were assigned to soldiers, upon joining, for "A" Battery, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. Not sure what they did in the war. And the soldier kept that number even if they changed jobs or trades.

It could also be some sort of inventory control number added to the inside of that ink stamp box.  Can you read the ink stamp word(s)?

regards
Darrell

Hi Darrell,

I haven't received the helmet yet - it should reach me by tomorrow, if everything goes well (which is not always the case in France, these days )

I will take more detailed photos as soon as I get it.

The net does not strike me as being a modern reproduction, but I have no idea whether this is Canadian made one. At any rate, I don't think it can possibly be original to the lid, as there are no visible signs of rust on it.

Regards,

Didier

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Darrell, I think you were right about that c290 number: it definitely looks like a batch number of some sort.
So I guess the helmet never saw any real military "action".

Regards,

Didier

Your Mk II Canadian helmet has what appears to be a movie prop stamp and control number in it.   Anything in felt tip marker is post-1953.

That is unexpected, I would say, but then, if this helmet participated in The Longest Day (1962), for instance, that makes it all the more interesting to me.

...But that should not be the case, as I.M.M. LTD seem to have been active since 2007 only!

So the C must stand for Canadian and there were at least 290 of them...

Perhaps it is a shelf or rack number 29D.

You are right: there could be a D at the end of that code.
The main thing for me is that the helmet is period correct. I have found a two-tone net for it, to make it look more Canadian