RAC MK 2 helmet.

Hi Guys.

Here is a RAC lid from my collection, this one has a net and scrim fitted for display purposes,note the non- standard chin cup,which was already fitted to the lid when I got it from a Army surplus store,many years ago

Side profile

This lid is fitted with a Mk 5 liner and chinstrap

Markings on the Mk 5 liner showing the date,and idiots guide as to where the front of the lid is !!!

As ever all comments will be most welcome

Hi Gary i think you have a Falklands period Royal Marines helmet a mate of mine served at Goose Green in 2 para has one he was issued because was not enough para helmets to go round

loski wrote:Hi Gary i think you have a Falklands period Royal Marines helmet a mate of mine served at Goose Green in 2 para has one he was issued because was not enough para helmets to go round

Blimey I forgot I posted this one.

Cheers Graham, that does make sense, as the surplus shop was primarily filled to the roof with, British militaria from the 80's, my city is home to 42 CMDO, so again this may make sense, if I remember rightly there are some markings in the inside of the lid, I will have to dig it out and have a look.

Thanks Mate, if this is indeed RMC Falklands issue,I will be a happy man

Hi Gary
With the net and scrim i could be either RM or Para being as you live in a RM garrison town Ill go for RM, the chin cup looks like the type found on some commersial climbing helmets and other sporting safty head gear, So was probaly added by its previous owner to stabalise the thing on his head or to make it more Para ally lol
PS I forgot to say that im in the process of turning my example into a MkIII para helmet lookalike Pics when I finish.

loski wrote:Hi Gary
With the net and scrim i could be either RM or Para being as you live in a RM garrison town Ill go for RM, the chin cup looks like the type found on some commersial climbing helmets and other sporting safty head gear, So was probaly added by its previous owner to stabalise the thing on his head or to make it more Para ally lol
PS I forgot to say that im in the process of turning my example into a MkIII para helmet lookalike Pics when I finish.

Hi Graham.

I am leaning towards RMC too, or maybe RN gunner, I did a bit of research yesterday, and found out RN Gunners wore these RAC lids prior to the MK6.

Personally I would like to think it's RMC, but I will never know

I like the sound of your latest project Mate, I look forward to the pics, I was thinking at one stage of doing the same with my lid, but found out it was so expensive to convert,so I left it.

Cheers mate

Gary
the total cost including shell,aMk5 liner to replace the Mk4 paint and the chinstrap and its bits was £75.00
Not too bad the hard part was drilling the hol,es for the 3 point strap had to heat the points for the holes first.

The RM/RN and RAC Helmets are identical in every way.

Nice to see a complete one and not one that has been butchered by Airsofters to convert to a shitty looking Airborne helmet

Gulf91 said
Nice to see a complete one and not one that has been butchered by Airsofters to convert to a shitty looking Airborne helmet

Not all RAC RM RN shell convesions are carried out by airsofters and a large quantity are converted for renactors, And a large amount were also converted in the post war years to para specification by film companys and several armys including the Canadian and Rhodesian. Some sutch as the canadian conversions use a para liner and strap hangers fixed with bolts others like the Rhodesian conversions use the origional liners and have the strap hangers relocated and riveted in place both retain the dimple in the top the film company conversions vary in quality some have a para liner fixed in with bolts others have the origional liner and only one new hole leaving the front of the chin strap too far back.

loski wrote:Gary
the total cost including shell,aMk5 liner to replace the Mk4 paint and the chinstrap and its bits was £75.00
Not too bad the hard part was drilling the hol,es for the 3 point strap had to heat the points for the holes first.

Seen it on a WW2 forum.

loski wrote:
Gulf91 said
Nice to see a complete one and not one that has been butchered by Airsofters to convert to a shitty looking Airborne helmet

Not all RAC RM RN shell convesions are carried out by airsofters and a large quantity are converted for renactors, And a large amount were also converted in the post war years to para specification by film companys and several armys including the Canadian and Rhodesian. Some sutch as the canadian conversions use a para liner and strap hangers fixed with bolts others like the Rhodesian conversions use the origional liners and have the strap hangers relocated and riveted in place both retain the dimple in the top the film company conversions vary in quality some have a para liner fixed in with bolts others have the origional liner and only one new hole leaving the front of the chin strap too far back.

Very informative Graham, I had no idea Canadians etc used these lids all be it converted, again look forward to seeing the results of your project Mate

Very informative Graham, I had no idea Canadians etc used these lids all be it converted, again look forward to seeing the results of your project Mate [/quote]

Hi Gary

Not all of the Para pots used by the Canadian Airborne Regt post war were conversions, I have read that some RAC pots were converted using para liners and bolts and still have the dimple in the top these are aperantly rare with the correct provernance. I have allso heard that a quantity of DR pots were converted for the CAR again post war retaining the DRs liner and that the helmets were reversed during the conversion process the brow pad therefore became the nape pad and one these with the relevent authacentation would be rarer than hens teeth, I have seen one of the first conversions but never the second.
Found this artical that mentions the Canadian converted RAC pots

http://www.quanonline.com/military/military_reference/british/paratrooper_helmet.html

There is a bit on the following mentioning the Canadian converted DRs pot right at the bottom of the page.

http://www.rcsigs.ca/ViewItem/279/

No Probs i will post some pics as soon as I get the paint.

loski wrote:Very informative Graham, I had no idea Canadians etc used these lids all be it converted, again look forward to seeing the results of your project Mate

Hi Gary

Not all of the Para pots used by the Canadian Airborne Regt post war were conversions, I have read that some RAC pots were converted using para liners and bolts and still have the dimple in the top these are aperantly rare with the correct provernance. I have allso heard that a quantity of DR pots were converted for the CAR again post war retaining the DRs liner and that the helmets were reversed during the conversion process the brow pad therefore became the nape pad and one these with the relevent authacentation would be rarer than hens teeth, I have seen one of the first conversions but never the second.
Found this artical that mentions the Canadian converted RAC pots

http://www.quanonline.com/military/military_reference/british/paratrooper_helmet.html

There is a bit on the following mentioning the Canadian converted DRs pot right at the bottom of the page.

http://www.rcsigs.ca/ViewItem/279/

No Probs i will post some pics as soon as I get the paint.[/quote]



Hi Graham.

Many thanks for the info, very informative, and great for future ref.

I look forward to seeing the finished project

Hi Gary
sorry mate but im a bit of a para pot anorack lol

loski wrote:Hi Gary
sorry mate but im a bit of a para pot anorack lol

Nothing to be sorry about Gra, in fact it's great to share info, with a fellow collector who know's his stuff..

Easy Gee wrote:

loski wrote:Hi Gary
sorry mate but im a bit of a para pot anorack lol

Nothing to be sorry about Gra, in fact it's great to share info, with a fellow collector who know's his stuff..

Ta Mate

Hi Gary
A quick pic of my RAC conversion