Hi all, I wonder if anybody out there can help me with this? I am trying to find out what insignia the various units of the Britsh Airborne (namely 1st Airborne at Arnhem) had on their helmets? I recently saw an item on EBay which caught my eye (see attached doc) and it made me wonder if all the different units had their own specific insignia. Over to you guys!
Hi, Paul I've only ever seen one Airborne unit with insignia-marked helmets, and that was in a photo of a training exercise. It's quite a well known photo. The unit in question was the Ox & Bucks LI. If helmets were marked up, the insignia would have been difficult to see because the vast majority of helmets were netted and 'decorated' with hessian 'scrimmage'. I'd also be interested to see what others have to offer. Steve W.
Paul, I think that perhaps the ebay item was a bit fanciful.....the 'medics' badge of a red cross on the helmet is news to me......you may recall in the diarama of the RAP in the basement of the Hartenstein....one of the medics has the three RAMC colours on his helmet (like the current 16 CS Regt DZ patch) ...I was told this was an original 1944 RAMc helmet....but as Steve says many helmets were camouflaged and therefore any evidence will be hard to see in original photos.....
working on it for a new booklet, so you have to get some patience, it will be the next one after the brencarrier one which will be ready within 2 months time, have found some interesting stuff
Hello Gents, Thanks for your replies. GPRegt - I've seen an example of a WW2 Ox & Bucks Helmet (see pic) and the insignia does look like the one on EBay listed as "Air-Landing". AM - I remember the diorama you mention, in fact I've got some pics of it somewhere, I'll have to dig them out and have a closer look. Philip - I look forward to the booklet you're working on and, as usual, put me down for a copy! Thanks again fellas...........
Paul, Do you have the booklet 'British Parachute Forces 1940-45 by Howard P Davies? Regret as I don't have a scanner but if someone has and has the booklet see pages 24 and 25.....two photos which have the feel of early days....one on the left hand side of the helemt has the prachute winged badge inside a rectangle and the other appears to just be the 'lightbulb' inside a rectangle......both say they are painted flashes.....
AM, Yes, I do have that book. I'll dig it out and have a look. By the way, I went through the pics I have of the dioramas at the Hartenstein and sadly I don't seem to have one of the RAMC display. The best one I have is attached. Thanks for your help mate . All the best..............
Paul, Do you have the booklet 'British Parachute Forces 1940-45 by Howard P Davies? Regret as I don't have a scanner but if someone has and has the booklet see pages 24 and 25.....two photos which have the feel of early days....one on the left hand side of the helemt has the prachute winged badge inside a rectangle and the other appears to just be the 'lightbulb' inside a rectangle......both say they are painted flashes..... Is this one of the photographs you are refering to? Verrieres
Paul, I think that perhaps the ebay item was a bit fanciful.....the 'medics' badge of a red cross on the helmet is news to me......you may recall in the diarama of the RAP in the basement of the Hartenstein....one of the medics has the three RAMC colours on his helmet (like the current 16 CS Regt DZ patch) ...I was told this was an original 1944 RAMc helmet....but as Steve says many helmets were camouflaged and therefore any evidence will be hard to see in original photos..... Airborne, are you saying that the RAMC TRF was in use during the Arnhem Ops, I may be mistaken but I thought that the DZ/TRF for the RAMC did not come in until the early 50s with the introduction of the Cherry Red Lanyard & Back patch.
Airborne, are you saying that the RAMC TRF was in use during the Arnhem Ops, I may be mistaken but I thought that the DZ/TRF for the RAMC did not come in until the early 50s with the introduction of the Cherry Red Lanyard & Back patch. It is a painted helmet flash.....not a TRF as such
Hello all, I am new to this forum. I would like your opinion on a helmet I was thinking of buying, I have tried to trace its origins. Any advise would be great. thanks
The helmet markings you originally asked are Polish markings but not all are war time as they introduced new markings just after the war. There was a article in the old Millitaria magazine which showed them all, ( i have a copy somewhere but cant find it, not a good filing system ) also Mark Simms at BattledressandBayonet.com do have some good repro helmet transfers
