Hi all, I am trying to help out a colleague who had a load of stuff up in her attic from her late father. Most of it was easily identifiable, except for what I suspect is a flying helmet. However, I have had a look online but cannot find any other examples that have the same features - closed capped ear pieces and no buttons to fit the breathing masks etc. The helmet has markings inside of 1937 and A.M. If anyone can help it will be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Ian
Hope some of this helps RAF B Type flying helmet - A classic example of the most desirable of the RAF WW11 flying helmets. The earliest dated example we have seen is 1935 and the pattern remained the standard RAF helmet until 1941 when it was replaced by the early version of the externally wired C type Flying Helmets, Flying Goggles, Oxygen Masks - Aviation Collectables - British Flying Helmet, B Type: RAF FLYING HELMET, B TYPE: RAF Helmet: brown chrome leather helmet made of six vertical panels, meeting at a single narrow central ridge panel that runs from front to rear. Helmet has a rectangular horizontal panel across the forehead and has two zipped padded leather oval housings to the ears and leather chinstrap. The chinstrap is sewn to the right side & secured by to a metal friction type Bennett buckle that is sewn to the left. The helmet has a vertical opening to the neck, 4½ inches deep, fitted with a horizontal adjustable leather strap that ensured a smug fit and facilitated ease of removal of the helmet. This strap is attached to the rear of the right ear cup, runs through another short steel buckled vertical leather strap that is sewn to the right of the opening slit, and into another friction type Bennett buckle that is sewn to the rear of the left ear cup. The helmet is lined with buff-coloured chamois and has a rectangular length of brown-coloured material sewn to the inside of the forehead. The inside of the oval earcups are padded for comfort. To each side of the face aperture is fitted a pair of two steel snap fasteners, the left pair having a length of rectangular shaped chamois backed webbing (face protector). TD WW2 RAF Flying Helmets
Hi Tricky, thanks for the info. Any ideas why the ears are closed of with the plastic caps in this example? I can't seem to find any pictures of any other helmets that are exactly the same. Regards, Ian
My only thoughts would be that they are left blank at present, i.e they are 'blanks', and possibly have the real earpieces of whatever type installed at a later date or as and when required The IWM descrip[tion should help you if you compare it to what you have TD
