Helmet Mk2......but not British?

[BEAR]

Greetings all,
Some years ago my son was seeking a British or Commonwealth Mk2 helmet to add to his collection, He showed me a helmet the owner was selling, but, alas, it was Belgian with US style chinstrap. He was disappointed.
A short time ago I was in my favorite LAS and saw this Mk2 with camouflage net. The inside had all the correct stuff for a British Mk2, correct chinstrap (named "TAYLOR"). Correct helmet stamps d.S.S. I 19??(hidden by chinstrap attachment. Correct liner stamps 7 W.L. 1940.
However, I was surprised by the color of the helmet. It was not repainted but had the original factory paint inside and out. I t was not Olive Drab but a greyish green color as you will see in photos. I've been doing some research but, before I present what evidence I have found, I am interested in your opinions

BEAR
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[Aragorn243]

Looks like two different colors of paint to me but after the German camo fiasco, I should probably keep my mouth shut.

[browningautorifle]

Painted flat grey for air warden use in the city?

[BEAR]

The color is a semi gloss grey green and it is factory paint, no repaint. But it is 2nd class steel, and magnetic so it's not a combat helmet. I forgot about the magnet test.
Well I'm leaning in the wrong direction, oh well. Now I've lost interest.

ps Incorrect title. The helmet is British. It is a Fire Guards helmet. I went to a WW2 Air Warden site and sure enough There was my son's helmet but with markings.

[Flying10uk]

It's got the 3 holes in the rim which identify it as "non ballistic steel" helmet, non front-line, i.e. offering less protection than the frontline helmet which don't have the 3 holes in the rim and are made of a different grade of steel. The ones that I've seen have 3 holes each side but clearly some examples just have one set of holes on one side, as per your's. The idea of the 3 hole identification was so that if a "non ballistic helmet" got mistakenly sent to a front line unit the mistake would easily be spotted.

I don't believe that it was just Fire Guards who got this style of helmet; it all depended on how much risk you were at.

[browningautorifle]

I went to a WW2 Air Warden site and sure enough There was my son's helmet

Thus the color of the city streets...here's a site for some exploration. WW2 ARP, Air Raid Warden Markings

[Aragorn243]

So what's the magnet test. I don't do a ton with helmets and have never heard of it.

[browningautorifle]

the magnet test

To see if the magnet sticks to the helmet. If it does then it's not a combat helmet.

[BEAR]

Thus the color of the city streets...here's a site for some exploration. WW2 ARP, Air Raid Warden Markings

Aye, that's the site I went to and confirmed my mistake. I was originally leaning toward the Mk2s that the Irish Republic used during WW2.

[BEAR]

To see if the magnet sticks to the helmet. If it does then it's not a combat helmet.

Except German helmets (WW1, WW2, and East German) and Soviet and Eastern Bloc nations.

Interesting fact: We were taught to remove our helmets when using the lensatic compass because it would affect the magnetic readings. It wasn't until I started collecting helmets after I retired that I learned that US and British helmets were non-magnetic. Even had 2nd Lts. blame their lostness on the fact that they forgot to remove their helmets when reading their compass! After we adopted the Kevlar, Land Nav. Instructors were still training recruits to remove their helmets.
Old habits never die I guess.