United Kingdom - Armoured Corps - Military helmet - 2 WWII H.S.R.A.C. helmet, steel, Royal Armoured Corps, with net — marked 1944. - 1944

This is a fine example of a British rotary-crew steel helmet from World War II, complete with liner, chinstrap, and green cotton camouflage net with brown stripes. The inner liner bears size 7½, the manufacturer FFL (Fisher Foils Ltd) and the 1944 production year. The paint is in very good condition, with no signs of rust or damage. The camouflage net shows a few tears. It has only been subjected to careful dusting and a vigorous blow-out. The batch number is not visible, there is doubt that it was repainted in the early fifties to harmonize it with the newly produced ones after the outbreak of the Korean War.

Made of manganese steel and derived from the evolution of the Mark I helmet for airborne troops, this model was initially equipped with a standard Mark II padding fixed with a Simmonds-type screw and a self-locking nut; production, carried out by Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd. of Dagenham, began in July 1942. The helmet was produced in two sizes to accommodate all Mark II padding measurements. The chinstrap was initially of the Mark II coil type, later becoming the elastic Mark III type.

In October 1942, the helmet was officially designated as the “RAC Mark I Steel Helmet” or the “No. 4 Mark I Steel Helmet.” In 1944 the helmet was redefined as Mark II after receiving improvements: a removable Mark III padding, attached with a “Lift the Dot” snap button, and a new quick-release special chinstrap. Production ceased at the end of 1945 with about 250,000 units produced by Briggs Motor Bodies (Dagenham) and Rubery Owen & Co. Ltd (Darlaston).