Canadian (?) WW2 helmet and British (?) WW1 shell identification

[Nabs]

Hello again CGN,

Now that I have a working camera, I thought I would take some pictures of these two items. They were gifted to me by a good friend of the family whose grandfather and grandmother had these in their house for many, many years as I am told.

The helmet had no story with it but I am guessing it is Canadian by the colourful paint job and maple leaf. The liner is very dry but does have a date of "1941" on it along with the size and what I believe is a maker mark. Any idea what "G.C.O." means ?

The shell casing was used to hold umbrellas and canes for quite some time. Judging by the markings, it is dated 1916 and has British broad arrows on it. It measures 4.5" on the rim and ~14.5" in height. Any idea what gun would have used this ?

Thank you for help with these as they are out of my area of expertise.

British (?) Shell casing

Canadian (?) WW2 helmet

 

[Nyles]

The shell is British - the RL is for Royal Laboratories, the ammunition plant at Royal Arsenal Woolwich. I don't think the paint job on the helmet is military - too flashy and too sloppy. The VMC on the liner does indicate Canadian manufacture , it's Viceroy Manufacturing Company in Toronto - there should be a manufacturer's mark stamped somewhere on the shell as well.

 

[j-man]

The main emblem painted on the helmet appears to be that of a RCN/RN Sonarman or Sonar Detector. The wavy loop reminds me of the executive curl of a Sub-Lieutenant of the RCNVR. a/s could possibly stand for 'anti-submarine' but I'm not sure. I believe GCO is Gun Control Officer, which was ofter a junior officer and would be supported by the S/Lt rank.

Look closely in the helmet for a name, rank or ship name. Let us know if you find anything.

 

[Nabs]

Hello gents,

Thank you for the replies, the information is greatly appreciated.

I had a look around the inside of the helmet and I did not see any maker marks on the metal. The liner is dried out to the point I can't move it without fear of it breaking. Is there a specific place where the maker mark would be stamped on the shell ?

 

[Nyles]

Usually on the underside of the lip, no need to remove the liner.

 

[Nabs]

Hi Nyles,

I had another look around the rim of the shell but I was unable to find any markings that stood out. If it helps, one of the chin strap buckles has a spring attached to it.

 

[fugawi]

Nabs, you could try posting in the Helmet Collecting forum on War Relics. Someone should be able to help you there.

 

[dingus]

Are them Canadian Helmets worth anything if in good shape?
I know where theres a nice green one seen service looks worn but in great shape from WWII ?

 

[gregc]

given the way the helmet is painted, you have a fine example of trench art. if you are concerned about the liner, you may want to bring the helmet to your local museum and see what they would suggest to preserve it. alternatively, within my militaria collection, i've used Obenauf's Heavy Duty Leather Preservative on liners/belts to ensure they don't dry out and crack any further.

 

[Nabs]

Thank you for the thoughts everyone. I am going to do my best to preserve this leather.

As for the helmet, I think the general consensus is the helmet is WW2 in origin and was in the Canadian military ? I'll see about getting more of a story about the helmet from the family that gave it to me, hopefully there is something that will shed some light on it.

 

[Hawkshadow]

The makers stamp should be on the underside of the rim on the back of the helmet. If you need a picture reference, let me know.

The flat screw on top is correct for the Mk II helmet, as is the single rivet affixing the chinstrap attachment points.

I suggest Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvinator for the inside. It works wonders on leather, and 1 container lasts a heck of a long time!
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.ca/en-cad/search/searchresults/21978-541.aspx