WW2 BRITISH ARMY DISPATCH RIDERS HELMET DATED 1942
History
At the start of the Second World War the British Army did not have a dedicated motorcyclists helmet- dispatch riders and other motorcyclists having to make do with the brimmed MkII steel helmet. Unfortunately this helmet caused neck injuries if the wearer had an accident; as a stop gap a papier-mâché pulp crash helmet was produced but it offered no ballistic protection. Clearly what was needed was a steel helmet that could protect the wearer from both crashes and in the field. The army turned to their rimless parachutists helmet shell and married this with a new liner to make it suitable for use on a motorbike.
Item Description
Original anti-glare rough finish to the outside of the shell. Liner complete with leather ear and neck cover with padded front and rear liner clearly marked BMB (Briggs Motor Body Works Dagenham) size 6 3/4 and dated 1942.
These helmets in this condition and of WW2 vintage are becoming rare and collectable with most of them being used to convert to Paratroopers helmets by unscrupulous dealers and traders.