1st birthday present

My family knows my interest in collecting military equipment and so they surprised me for my birthday. Since Washington State has put the Kabosh on any more collecting of semi-auto surplus weapons, I have switched my focus to Paratrooper helmets. Here's my 1st present...a US military freefall leather helmet. Very similar to the one I used in 1978 except mine had three snap fasteners on either side to fit the older style oxygen mask. I was somewhat surprised to see a manufacture date of 1991. I thought the military flushed the leather helmet in the 80s. The goggles shown are the goggles I used in HALO school.....better peripheral vision than those bulky black framed googles they issued.
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This was my second present. A postwar Canadian Paratrooper helmet dated 1956. Very little wear. Interesting that it had a sticker with "Made in Canada". Almost as though it was being sent overseas for foreign forces.
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Originally Posted by BEAR

Interesting that it had a sticker with "Made in Canada".

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Interesting to me because the liner has the marking "CCL" which until now I hadn't been able to identify as British or British Commonwealth origin. I've got 2X MK2 steel helmets, both WW2 dated but both with post WW2 liners and both liners marked "CCL". I suspected that they might be Canadian but neither liner has any marking to indicate this. Reasonable now to assume that the liners are Canadian after seeing the above.

Hadn't thought about it before, but the foam liner of the para helmet must have made blows to the head much less unpleasant than when wearing the standard helmet; especially blows from fast moving bits of metal.

I've found "CCL 2" identified as a British wartime maker of helmet liners, Christy & Co Ltd, London. Does anyone know if there was also a post WW2 Canadian manufacturer of helmet liners using the same abbreviation, "CCL" or is the above helmet, post 2, in fact, a British para helmet mis identified as Canadian? Notice that the chinstrap broad arrow marking has no C surrounding it which would indicate Canadian acceptance. Before anyone points it out, I realise that the liner has a sticker applied to it stating "made in Canada".

British WW2 Brodie Helmet Maker Stamps - Helmets and Headgear - Treasure Bunker Forum

I did some research and CCL stands for Charles Collet Limited, London. So now I am beginning to think maybe I have a British post war helmet. Anyone could have put the Made in Canada sticker on the liner.
NO sweat, either or suits me.

Well, now I am confused. I have accepted the fact that helmet is a post war British paratrooper helmet because of the CCL stamped on the liner and chin strap and the stand-alone Broad arrow. What I don't know is what CCL stands for! Flying10uk and some other sources state it stands for Christie & Co, LTD, but different sources say it is Charles Collet. LTD.
Does anyone have any definitive proof either way.
TIA

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BEAR

What I don't know is what CCL stands for! Flying10uk and some other sources state it stands for Christie & Co, LTD, but different sources say it is Charles Collet. LTD.

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Both could be correct because, notice, there is also a "2" in the abbreviation that I found, i.e. "C C L 2". Obviously the "2" means something and something that it could mean is to differentiate between 2 manufacturers with the same initials. Like you suggest what we need is someone who is able to confirm the meaning of "CCL" (2).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

Both could be correct because, notice, there is also a "2" in the abbreviation that I found, i.e. "C C L 2". Obviously the "2" means something and something that it could mean is to differentiate between 2 manufacturers with the same initials. Like you suggest what we need is someone who is able to confirm the meaning of "CCL" (2).

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Very good possibility