BRITISH/CANADIAN PARATROOPER HELMET

After WWII, the Canadian Paratrooper Units were greatly reduced in numbers. By 1951, the Canadians needed a further number of paratrooper helmets, but were informed by the British Government that the original helmet was no longer in production. To meet this deficiency, a number of Canadian motorcyclist helmets were converted to airborne use. The conversion consisted of inserting a top tag, cutting off the curtains and chinstrap, and boring four holes in the rim to take a leather or web harness based on the Mark 1 airborne helmets. The helmets were then worn reversed so that the brow pad on the dispatch rider helmet became a neck support on the airborne helmet. A rare helmet from post-war Canadian paratroopers. The helmet is complete with a scrim net. At some point in its life, somebody has painted a spurious Polish eagle to the front of the helmet.

Ref; 96412