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WWII British Turtle Shell MKIII Helmet -
This is a British Army helmet. As issued during World War Two.
The Mk III Helmet was a steel military combat helmet developed for the British Army in 1944.
First worn in combat by British and Canadian troops on D-Day, the Mk III was used alongside the
Brodie helmet for the remainder of the Second World War. It is sometimes referred to as the
"turtle" helmet by collectors, because of its vague resemblance to a turtle shell.
The Mark III helmet was designed to provide better protection for the side of the head than its
predecessor. It was a deeper helmet with a smaller brim and provided 38% more protection than the
Mark II, particularly at the sides. The Mark III helmet was issued primarily to assault troops
for the Normandy invasion in June 1944, and a large number of helmets from British stocks were
issued to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division in addition to British units. Small numbers also
went to the 2nd and 4th Canadian Divisions. All Mark III helmets in Canadian stores were returned
to the UK shortly after the end of the Second World War.
The fit of the helmet was more comfortable. A spongy liner delivered a better fit. A canvis
chin strap was outfitted to the shell. The standard color was green.
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Most modern military helmets saw their birth during World War One. The need to address the
multitude of head wounds in the trenches was the foundation for the widespread development
and deployment of helmets.
This section discusses several of the military helmets of the world.
The helmets from various armies came in a variety of designs. There were a large number
of different types developed. In many cases the use of the spilled over into non-military
applications such as police and civil defense. most of the helmets during WWI and WWII were
constructed of a combination of metal and leather.
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The author is not aware that this type of headgear is currently being
reproduced.
However, there is no guarantee that it is not. in many cases
it is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this headgear.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other British military helmets, you can do so by
going to our British Military headgear
identification guide. Where we cover multiple pieces.
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