Mk II flashed to the Free French
I have known of the existence of this helmet for for some time and it has always intrigued me I was fortunate to be able to add it to my collection a few days ago…
This particular Mk II has been in a private collection here in Canada and was purchased out of the US a number of years ago…It does show nice age and patina to the hand painted flashes on the side of the helmet body and would have what would appear to be the remnants of a yellow hand painted cross on the front just above the spot welds on the rim joint…IMO the age to the painted flashes is consistent to the wear and age on the helmet body…
I strongly believe that this is a wartime example of a Mk II that was used by the Free French after the exodus from France the main question in my mind is were could it have been used was it while the French Army was being reconstituted in Great Britain and or Scotland..?
It has also been suggested that it may have been used by a Colonial Free French unit as most of the Free French in Great Britain were issued and or used the US M-1 and that the shape of the flash might indicate that it was unit specific could it possibly have been used by one of the French Colonial armies who fought in North Africa,Italy and or Southern France so many unanswered questions…
A friend and fellow collector did point out on a different venue that he had seen period images of Mk II’s used by the French in North Africa….and a lot of Adrian’s and M 1917 A-1. and so speculated possibly Operation Dragoon and or one of the North Africa campaign’s.
He did as well bring up another interesting point when would the flashes have been painted on this helmet would it have been before, during or shortly after the fighting and applied for a victory parade.
There was but one reference found to this type of flash in a French publication so at the least gives a stepping stone to further research the helmet was reportedly used by members of the 1e Division France Libre.( 1st Free French Division.)
I can find very few period pictures of the Free French in any Theater of Operations with flashed helmets so there is nothing in the form of period images that I can find as of yet that supports were it may have been used and by whom so all of the above is purely speculation of course that said I am confident that it is a period original Mk II…Any thoughts and or opinions are most welcome …
This particular Mk II has been in a private collection here in Canada and was purchased out of the US a number of years ago…It does show nice age and patina to the hand painted flashes on the side of the helmet body and would have what would appear to be the remnants of a yellow hand painted cross on the front just above the spot welds on the rim joint…IMO the age to the painted flashes is consistent to the wear and age on the helmet body…
I strongly believe that this is a wartime example of a Mk II that was used by the Free French after the exodus from France the main question in my mind is were could it have been used was it while the French Army was being reconstituted in Great Britain and or Scotland..?
It has also been suggested that it may have been used by a Colonial Free French unit as most of the Free French in Great Britain were issued and or used the US M-1 and that the shape of the flash might indicate that it was unit specific could it possibly have been used by one of the French Colonial armies who fought in North Africa,Italy and or Southern France so many unanswered questions…
A friend and fellow collector did point out on a different venue that he had seen period images of Mk II’s used by the French in North Africa….and a lot of Adrian’s and M 1917 A-1. and so speculated possibly Operation Dragoon and or one of the North Africa campaign’s.
He did as well bring up another interesting point when would the flashes have been painted on this helmet would it have been before, during or shortly after the fighting and applied for a victory parade.
There was but one reference found to this type of flash in a French publication so at the least gives a stepping stone to further research the helmet was reportedly used by members of the 1e Division France Libre.( 1st Free French Division.)
I can find very few period pictures of the Free French in any Theater of Operations with flashed helmets so there is nothing in the form of period images that I can find as of yet that supports were it may have been used and by whom so all of the above is purely speculation of course that said I am confident that it is a period original Mk II…Any thoughts and or opinions are most welcome …
Regards Mark