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1944 Dated Canadian ( HSDR ) Helmet Steel Dispatch Rider


Mark K
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These are known in the Canadian Service as the Helmet, Crash,Motor Cyclist Steel or A 15550 it is sporting a Canadian late war knotted two tone net and a set of Resistal Goggles which are WW II period correct and have been added for the purpose of display.

The helmet body and liner are both dated 1944 the shell is a Mk I steel N# 3 and was manufactured by The Canadian Motorlamp Co. and is marked C.L./C. 1944 with the capital letter S impressed in the rear of the shell denoting the size as a small the shell is painted matt khaki green #3 which is correct according to the First Army Routine Order of the 27 July 1941...

The liner is in very decent condition showing little to no wear and only has a few small blemishes do to storage the sorbo rubber is still quite supple and pliable..

The liner was manufactured by Backstay Standards and bares there company logo BS with in a circle it is in a size 7 there is a C-Broad Arrow stamp hidden behind the leather on the front crash pad..

With the addition of a new set of Resistal M-38 safety goggles with the natural rubber dust boots I have opted to switch out the other set of goggles I had out on the helmet for the display. and move them over to another HSDR these particular examples are sporting clear lenses rather then the amber lenses...

 

Regards Mark

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    As a kid I spent near half of my childhood in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. My parents Summer home overlooked the St. Mary's River and the view out the front window was the remains of the British fort on St. Joseph's Island in Ontario. Next to that island is a smaller US island called Lime Island. It was a coal refueling station for the lake ships for decades prior to its virtual abandonment and for several years it was uninhabited but all of the structures remained.

    While prowling around gathering dock parts from one of the shops there, I found one of these helmets in near mint condition with the two color net. I think it was dated 45 but cannot completely remember... Sort of wish I had kept it but I traded it off years ago. I also found a nice Portuguese camo shirt that I used to wear to school! Lime Island is now a beautiful state park and I was part of an Army unit that helped to refurbish it back in the late 90s. Great helmet Mark!  Scott

  

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Cheers Scott I have had this example for many years now and it is a top shelf piece in my collection the Resistal goggles with the natural rubber dust shields were a challenge to find and took me years to locate a set they do not stand up to the march of time well the glass has started to delaminate and the rubber breaks down...

I am hopeful to find a better set one day for the purpose of display, These helmets can still be found on occasion in unissued condition and your recollection of the 1945 date is plausible as that was the last year of production by Backstay Standards whom manufactured the liners, I am of the opinion that the helmet body would likely have been produced by C.L./C. in 1944 though as if memory serves me correct that was the last year they were manufactured..

 

Regards Mark   

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  • 1 month later...
Chim Chim the Diminutive

About 40 years ago, a friend of mine bought a box of 50+ of these from the New Orleans Police Department. The NOPD used them as riot helmets. The helmets sat in my friends shed and the rats ate the liners. He eventually threw them away.

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  • 8 months later...

Mark, 

Do you know the origin of the "MADE IN CANADA" sticker on your liner?

I just acquired a post war Canadian Paratrooper helmet that had this sticker in the same place, however when researching the helmet, I have found it to be a post war British paratrooper helmet. The liner and the chin strap are marked with a CCL manufacturer code and the chinstrap has a BROAD ARROW, not a BROAD ARROW in a C.

TIA

BEAR

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