Hello, I just inherited this helmet - does anyone know what this formation sign is? If I am not complety mistake I can read 17b above the chin strap. What would this mean? The liner and the chin strap look like WW2 - correct? Does the colour look original? Thank you for your help!
We had this in the forum before or was that on ww2f. I know we answered it. I think it was Irish. Gimme a mo I'll hunt the thread out. Western Command, Irish Army. Edit. Help Identifying a unit identifier on a British Helmet See also https://www.catawiki.com/l/21176993-irish-helmet-model-mk-ii-1935
At the start of WW2 the Irish army was equipped with a version of the Stahlhelm which gave its men a somewhat Germanic profile. As the war progressed and Northern Ireland began to fill up with Allied soldiery under training and not well versed in drawing distinctions this was probably not too wise a situation and the (re) adoption of a British helmet was a politic approach.