British MK4 Steel Helmet

[Flying10uk]

I have this British MK4 steel helmet which I purchased e few years ago and it came with a smaller size liner. I wanted to be able to try it on but as I have a larger size head, not a boast just the physical size of my head, this was not possible. I also had a 2nd spare liner for this type of helmet, also of a small size, I, therefore, managed to increase the size of one liner by taking a few bits of the other liner etc, etc. On completion I was surprised on how relatively comfortable this MK4 helmet felt to wear as I believe others have said that they were not comfortable.

I was wondering how people here, who may have used the MK4 steel helmet in service, found it? Did it give a reasonable level of protection, when compared to it's contemporaries, and was it comfortable, back in the day? It did remain in service, in one form or another, for around 40 years or so.

Thanks for any information and replies.

Information

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[Flying10uk]

[Gloworm]

We were issued these when I first joined in ‘78, they were ok comfort wise as we didn’t know any better.
The later Mk6 was a vast improvement, albeit with its own issues.
The good thing about the turtle shell was the lift out liner, great for washing and bathing.
Heavy and cumbersome, they did bounce around a bit and would tilt at all the wrong moments.
I was always being yelled at to get the chinstrap down 🙄
They were good for demonstrating the effect of a thunderflash, pop one under a helmet and boy did it go skywards!

[browningautorifle]

On completion I was surprised on how relatively comfortable this MK4 helmet felt to wear as I believe others have said that they were not comfortable.

One thing to remember is they may be comfortable to wear for a few minutes or so, try on and see... But it's a completely different story to do fire and movement in or wear for extended periods and do heavy demanding work while wearing them. Imagine every day for great lengths of time...plus change.

[Flying10uk]

Jim, did you ever see any MK4/turtle style steel helmets being used by Canadian forces during your time, please? I know that some of the similar style MK3 helmets were issued to Canadian forces for D-Day, from British stocks, but returned to the UK at around the end of WW2.

[browningautorifle]

Nope, just one guy that I served with that told me he'd worn one before the change...he started in summer 1956. I think they were gone very soon after that. We bought the older US issue M1 helmets and they were still around when I started, the early rayon headliners and snap in nape straps...grommet in the front...all the old features. Fixed bales... No Mk2s or 3s...