1942 Dated Mk II Flashed to the Belgium Brigade Piron

[Mark K]

A helmet I received in trade some time ago from a fellow collector in the Nederland's 1942 dated Brit Mk II which is thought to have been issued to a soldier by the name of Verstuyft whom served with the Belgium Brigade Piron it was purchase from the mans Grandson and was a reported barn find...

It is sporting a hand painted Belgium flag to the side of the helmet body, hand painted flashes were also applied to helmet bodies used by the Belgium Fusiliers from 1944-1947 of further interest is the chinstrap they were thought to have been adopted and used Wartime on home front and or possibly Mk II No. 2's and No 1's....

There is period evidence though to support at least a couple examples made it into the theatre of operations and was used by a Canadian Officer of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles in 1944 on his Mk III in France just shortly after D-Day And an image of a British Soldier that was published in the book Overlord by Max Hasting that clearly shows this chinstrap being used in Normandy...

 

Regards Mark