Official MOD Airborne Helmet converted from RAC shell??

A question regarding Airborne helmets,we all know that some reenactors and airsofters try to convert RAC shells into Airborne ones but would the military ever do such a thing? Pretty sure I remember seeing somewhere an official Canadian? conversion.

Reason I ask is have recently bought what was described as a genuine post war Airborne helmet and when it arrived was surprised to see that the shell could well have been a RAC one as there are 2 holes either side where the chinstrap lug rivets appear to have been drilled out but there is no evidence of a hole where the top LTD stud would have been. It is fitted with a 1971 dated CWL liner.

I have been told that there were official conversions made by Canada, Israel and Rhodesia.
From what I heard the Canadian conversion was of DR helmets and they used the original DR liner that was reversed front to back and a Para chin strap added, the Israeli conversion I think used a Para liner and chinstrap and the Rhodesian version was the most heath robinson they cut off the original chin strap and riveted the short straps and D rings for fitting a South African made copy of a French Para chin strap the original Mk4 oilskin liner was not replaced. The photo is of a rhodesian conversion.



I have not heard of offical uk conversion But that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any ordered or done for the MOD. How about some photos of your pot.

The Canadian conversions were Canadian manufactured DR Helmets and this work was done post-WWII.

See the 'Tin Lids' book. http://www.servicepub.com/

There is a couple of links to Canadian conversions on this post I made some time back

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/

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

Great link.

I would say going by the chinstrap that the helmet pictured is an Israeli conversion.

Yeh the capes on the ends of the strap look like Israeli ones But take a look at this ebay sale cos the chapes are the same plus the Israeli ones usualy have the ZAHAL syamp on them in hebrew http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-MILITARY-PARATROOPER-CHIN-STRAP-/290936948667?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bd3187bb

I havent as yet attempted to remove either the net or liner but will do so at some stage.

the bolts and liner look right but the shell looks like it has had a strap mounted futher back and im not happy with the 2 tone crown pad there is a possability that the dimple in the top has been filled try a magnet on the to see if it sticks not 100%

Shell is completely non magnetic all over and just compared the holes/location to 3 RAC helmets I have and are in the same location.

The crown pad could hide the innerside of a dimple It could allso hide where there was a LTD snap

True.

Have examined the outside and cannot see any evidence of filling of the LTD dimple,or if there is it has been done very well.

So a mystery,a reenactor or airsofter type conversion but if so and the top dimple as been filled so well,why leave the holes at the side??

Another thought I had but for the life of me cannot find the one and only pic I remember is of seeing a Para in NI 1970s with an Airborne helmet fitted with some from of visor??

That is a posability

Just wish I could find the dammn pic and cannot remember if it was in a book/mag that I have or somewhere online.