HELMETS
FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918)
German Pickelhaube (= spiked helmet) spike, about 1890-1916. From 1916 on, the leather spiked helmet was replaced by the steel helmet.
German WW1 helmet shell, size 64. The exterior shots were made by the previous owner. ^
If it has a leather liner band, it's called model 1916. If the liner band is made of steel, it's a model 1917 helmet. 1916/17 helmets withouth liner or even liner band, like this one, are conventionally called 1916 helmet shells.
In 1918 a new type of the German steel helmet was introduced, now called an M1918 helmet. It had no chin strap posts, since the chin strap was attached directly to the steel liner band.
On the helmet shown above, the chin strap posts were removed, but the holes are still visible. The two other 1916 helmets below still have the chin strap posts.
German M1917 helmet shell size 66 (with a steel liner band, hence M1917 ^)
German M1916 helmet shell size 66. The camouflage paint is not original ^
Belgian M1915 helmet with early war mustard colour paint. The lion's head badge on front is from a later police helmet. ^ (1)
More info (Dutch): http://www.abbl1940.be/ABBL1940files/Hoofddeksels/Helm/Helmmodel1915NL.htm
Belgian M1915 helmet shell with later war dark brown paint.
Belgian M1915 helmet with dark brown paint, the liner still present but with broken chin strap^
Rare Belgian helmet, made after WW1 and issued 1919/20 to Air Defence units. The visor and neck guard are in one piece, unlike the wartime models, where both were made seperately and then riveted together. Originally painted dark blue, so the mustard colour is not original. ^ (1)
French model 1915 infantry helmet ^
M1915 Artillery helmet France, with the first pattern liner in one piece.^ (1)
M1915 French engineers' helmet, clearly showing its age. ^ (1)
British Mk1* helmet. This is a WW1 Mk1 helmet shell that has been refurbished in the 1930's with a new Mk2 1937 liner and an Mk2 1938 chin strap. Even the original chin strap posts were replaced.
Apparently, all (?) British ground troops wore Mk1* helmets during the Battle and evacuation of Dunkirk (1940). The paint on the exterior and interior may have been applied post-war for use in the British army. See below for more info about paint on Mk2 helmets.
SECOND WORLD WAR (1940-1945)
British Mk2 helmet with simpler Mk2 1938 liner and an Mk3 1941 elasticized chin-strap. The helmet shell was made by EC & CO (E. Camelinat & Co Ltd., Birmingham), which made helmets from 1939 to 1942 or 1944, depending on the source. This one was made in 1942. The paint appears to be the pre-1943 textured green. It is rather bright, but I still think that it's original. Click here for a similar example (interior only).
As a rule, British WW2 helmets with textured paint were intended for the army (and the Home Guard), and they were kaki green until 1942. From 1943 on they were painted dark brown. If an Mk2 helmet was produced before 1942 but also has this post-1943 textured dark brown paint, it's very likely that it was overpainted post-war, like the Mk1* helmet shown above. The British adopted the Mk3 helmet and its successors at the end of WW2, but the old Mk2 (and Mk1*?) helmets were still used for some time in Britain, even after the war. Of course, during WW2 Mk2 helmets were also painted in camo colours in the field. Post-war army helmets (1950's) may also have smooth bright green paint, without texture.
Don't forget that Mk2 helmets were also used and repainted (mostly with smooth paint) by various countries after the war, so the paint on your Mk2 helmet may in fact be Greek, Belgian, etc. Using the colour to determine the age of the paint on Mk2 helmets can be quite difficult and confusing, as the sources are sparse and at times contradicting. You can give it a try here:
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/helmets/mk-2-british-helmet-paint-texture-advice-699585/
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/helmets/mki-khaki-colour-comparion-mk2-khaki-brown-mk3-525515/
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/helmets/1939-home-front-mk2-helmet-726574/
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/helmets/british-helmet-mk2-early-army-719936/
British Mk2 helmet, with badge of the Irish Eastern Brigade. The liner is British and is dated 1942. The Irish used to have German-style helmets, which caused embarrasment and confusion at the outbreak of WW2. Therefore, they were supplied with British Mk2 helmets.
The paint on this helmet appears to be completely post-1945. In the interior, an earlier, more bright green colour is visible. As stated above, that green colour (without texture) was used in the 1950's, hence the dark green paint on the edge and on the exterior must have been applied even later. The Irish army kept using British Mk2 helmets long after the war, even until the 1970's - 1980's.
British Mk2 helmet. The shell was made by AMC (Austin Motor Company), a rare maker that only produced helmets in 1941. The liner and chin strap are from a 1950's Belgian helmet.
There are three layers of paint visible:
1) It was originally painted dark green, withouth texture, like the home front helmet shown below. This was probably the original WW2 colour. The colour can be seen clearly on the third picture.
2) Later it was painted bright blue by the Belgian armed forces for use by the air force or navy. After the war, the Belgians produced their own versions of the Mk2, but they also bought and repainted old British Mk2 helmets.
3) Even later the Belgians turned it into an army helmet by painting it green again. This must have been done in the 1950's. The previous owner of the helmet has removed most of this later green paint and part of the blue paint.
Traces of the Belgian flag, applied on the blue paint, are still visible.
British Mk2 helmet shell dated 1942 (on the chin strap posts) with a postwar Belgian liner, dated 1949. The bolt on top and the chin strap may or may not be wartime.
The smooth paint refers to home front or civil defence use in Britain in WW2. Indeed, the colour is similar to original home front helmets from that period.
Does the Belgian liner imply that this helmet was used by the Belgian army after the war? If it was, it would have been repainted and it should have a little Belgian flag on the wearer's left, which is lacking (and there are no traces of a flag that may have been removed or overpainted). But the presence of a post-war Belgian liner does not necessarily mean that the helmet was used by the Belgian army. The liner could also have been installed later by a collector, perhaps to replace a liner that was in poor condition or simply missing.
This is how you can tell the difference between an English ww2 mk2 helmet and a Belgian 1950's mk2 helmet. Click to enlarge ^
Often a seller has an English WW2 Mk2 helmet for sale, with a Belgian flag painted on the wearer's left. The seller then claims that this is a rare helmet that was used in WW2 by the Piron Brigade. This was a brigade of Belgian soldiers that fought in the British army with British equipment, but with a Belgian flag on their helmet. Most of the time, however, the helmet offered has nothing to do with the Piron Brigade, but was simply re-used by the Belgian Army after 1945. In the latter case, the Belgian flag was of course applied after the war. Still, British helmets used after the war by the Belgian army have their charm and value, and they are becoming rare.
German m42 helmet shell marked hkp 64 (=maker mark and size). It was made in 1943 ^
More info: http://www.german-ww2-helmet.com/