C03154 BRITISH PARATROOPER'S HELMET. A steel alloy helmet, similar in style to both the Armored Corps and Dispatch riders’ helmets, whose exterior is painted a rough-textured olive drab, approximately 85% of which has been retained, with typical age and usage soiling throughout. This first pattern helmet, introduced in 1942 and distinguishable from later variants by the 1" wide fibre band which encircles its rim, was worn until the end of the war by paratroopers, airborne and glider-borne units. The fibre band has lost much of its paint from the front and over each ear. Its thick, four piece, blackened leather chin strap is fixed to the helmet by four screws, one located over each ear and two to the reverse, with only those to the reverse remaining, and one of these appearing to be a replacement. The washer to one of the absent screws is included loosely. The ends of each of the straps have several brass grommets to them, the two crossing over one another to the reverse with four each, and those to either side with six. This allowed the straps to be carefully adjusted through the selection of which grommets the fixing screws were to pass through. The opposite end of the strap descending from above the right ear widens to form a molded "chin cup," with a soft padding to its interior. It then narrows again into a long strap, which would pass through the double, blackened brass rings to the opposite end of the strap descending from the left, and then back through the leather loop sewn to the exterior edge of the chin cup. The opposite ends of each of the reverse straps are sewn to those descending from the ears. All of these leather straps are lightly soiled, and have stiffened somewhat with age, but are still generally supple. A thick felt padding rings the inside edge of the helmet, broken where the straps pass, but particularly built up in the rear. The black, waterproofing compound applied to the padding exhibits significant age cracking. A 1 3/4" wide, tan-colored leather sweatband, with a thin layer of white felt padding running beneath it, separates the wearer’s head from the thick padding. Impressed along the left side of the sweatband is "BMB" (most likely the manufacturer’s initials), over the outline of a shield with "6 3/4" (the size) within it, and "19" and "42" (the date) to either side of it. The leather sweatband is still very supple, and the layer of felt beneath it is fully intact. Four white canvas loops are equidistantly sewn under the sweatband and towards the interior crown, where they are joined by a fit-adjusting cord. The olive drab paint to the interior of the helmet appears to be fully retained along the sides, but is worn at the rim, and is wholly absent from the crown.

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