Original British P-1944 Turtle MK IV Steel Helmet with Liner & Chinstrap – Restored Original Items

Original Item: Issued for use in the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944; this is the next steel helmet pattern to be adopted by the British after the Dough Boy style of WWI. In use through the close of WWII and in regular use through Korea and the Falkland war.

The Mk III Helmet was a steel military combat helmet developed for the British Army in 1941. 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 commonly referred to as the “turtle” helmet because of its 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 Mk III was itself replaced after the war by the Mark IV helmet, which it closely resembled. The differences were that the rivets attaching the chinstrap to the helmet were placed much lower down on the shell and the use of a ‘lift the dot’ fastener for the liner. These modifications allowed the Mk IV to be utilized for carrying water. The Mark IV helmet was eventually replaced by the Mark V, which looked similar to the MKIV, but had a more padded liner. The Mark V was used until the late-1980s at which point the British replaced all steel helmets with the Mark 6, which was made from nylon fiber.

Each MkIV helmet comes complete with steel bowl, original liner and original chin strap. The chinstraps and liners may have visible dates, however we cannot guarantee this. The shells have all been stripped and restored, and may have dates stamped into the shell, however these will be very faint if visible. Most will show 1950s dates if they have any visible.

These are 100% original except for the paint on the shell and are becoming increasingly difficult to find on the market. With the restored shells these really look the business and will make a great part of any helmet collection!