Tony

According to Tanks Again the hollow gun was in use with the Tank Corps 1917/18. I'll have it if you don't want it Tony

Right, I'll give it a go. Thanks.

Okey dokey Jerry, I might go to the UK next year so I suppose I should have a squiz in the new, much disliked Imperial War Museum to see what they have on display in the way of caps up to the 1940s.

Thanks to you both for the replies. I’ve been doing more digging around online and found a site where someone mentions that the pre 1921 cap has black cloth as a top lining and American cloth for the sweatband. My cap has these features too. A top stitch is mentioned as being on post war caps and wartime Canadian manufactured caps however, I don’t know what’s meant by top stitch. http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/ww1-allies-great-britain-france-usa-etc-1914-1918/british-army-1902-patt-style-other-ranks-service-dress-cap-233177/ Jerry, you get around (meant in the nicest possible way). The peak measures just over 50mm (about 2 inches) at it’s longest point, any idea how long they’re supposed to be? Tony

So a Brit made US cap with a REME badge attached, a pity about the felt tip writing on the headband. Thanks very much to both of you.

After looking at the khaki side caps pictured on the forum I didn't see one the same as the pattern I have. It's made by M. Doniger Ltd. and is dated 1944, the buttons are missing and it can't be folded down and buttoned under the chin. The material is quite thin, does anyone know if this is for tropical use? Another question, an idiot has written on the headband lining with a felt tip pen, is there a way of removing it without ruining the cap? Thanks Tony

Hello, I've had this cap since about the mid 80s, it was one of the first pieces of militaria I bought. Finding anything about these caps has been difficult, they seem to have air vents and the underneath of the peak is green whereas mine doesn't have the vents and is black under the peak. Can anyone tell me if I bought the real deal all those years ago? By the real deal I mean a cap in use around the time of the Great War. Thanks Tony

Hello Don, Being shiny doesn’t really worry me as Germans had plenty of opportunities to go and buy themselves a new award if the old one looked a bit tatty on their evening dress but the lack of detail is interesting. I don’t see the lack of detail but then I’ve been away from Imperial for a good number of years, below are badges that came from people we should be able to trust and I don’t see any difference in the details from those above apart from helmets and pin attachments however, the cut out silver has the flattest sloping ridge to the side of the helmet I’ve ever seen and is possibly cause for concern. Tony

Why not, what are we missing?

Good find! I checked spelling variations but obviously gave up too quickly.

The repros I've seen have the front lip of the helmet more or less level where the top and bottom of the 3rd and 4th set of leaves meet. The catches on the repros I've seen are different too but there are no doubt variations of copies. Tony

Gerald, that has to be an extremely rare helmet, not because of whose it was, but because it's badged, camouflaged and private purchase. Jerry, not my detective work. If you'd like a copy of the papers too send me your email. Tony

Hello Brian, The type D was approved in July 1916 and as the paperwork regarding changes is dated Aug. 1916, mentioning the fitting of a rim around the brim (see attachment) but not mentioning the rubber ring, I’d have a guess at it being the first mass manufactured helmet (I believe the rubber ring was introduced mid 1917) – they call it the Brodie Helmet Service Steel Helmet and is obviously a modified version of the Type B (and C? Which I haven’t heard of). MKI isn’t mentioned, perhaps it wasn’t strictly/officially called a MKI until the MKII came along? PM me your email and I’ll send you a copy of the instructions for the manufacture and testing of helmets which was passed on to the US, allowing them to make their own version after they entered the war. Tony

Stuart, I've just got back home and thought I'd give it a go anyway and it worked fine, thanks very much for taking the time to upload it. I'll have to have another look at the tank arm badge I have as it may be the 1946 type. Tony

The type 'D' helmet was known as a Brodie Steel Helmet.

Stuart, I've since found some photos online of men in the 141st, one of them from across the Tasman, The only insignia they seem to have worn are the tank badge and RAC shoulder titles. Tony

A little while ago I picked an iron cross II class marked HB. It's the first time I've seen or even heard anything of this maker, are HB crosses hard to find or have I been walking around blinkered? Tony

A small collection of Remembrance: A trio of British poppies, probably from the 1920s/30s A German forget me not An Australian poppy A Canadian poppy A New Zealand poppy I've never seen a Bleuet de France so if anyone has one please post a phot. Tony

Please send a photo of the monument when finished and put Dave's name on it too as his explanation did it for me. Dave's name can be smaller than mine if you like :)

A lot of people do tend to get their knickers in a twist when the MKII is referred to as a Brodie, I'm glad you don't Jerry. I can't get out of the habit of saying MKII Brodie but am trying. I have a bit of a thing for steel helmets and now have about 4 MKI examples having sold two recently, one of the four I still have has a repair to the chinstrap, it's been fixed up with a German helmet liner rivet but I have no idea if Fritz picked it up off the battlefield in March 1918, took it home on leave as a souvenir and fixed the strap or if someone repaired it with a rusty old liner rivet a few years ago. I also have plenty of Adrians knocking about. Here's a good book to download if you haven't already done so https://archive.org/stream/helmetsbodyarmor00dean#page/n9/mode/2up

I have my father-in-law's ID tag, just about anyone who has seen it says it has to be fake because the stamping isn't neat and tidy but it is an original. Just wanted to say that judging whether a German ID tag is original (as in stamped pre 1945) or not must be very difficult indeed.

yeah tell me about it.

I have a Tank Corps arm badge which I think I'll put with his medals, I might see if I can find a cap badge too although from what I've read so far it would seem they had silvered badges instead of the standard Buffs badge.

It doesn't get much better than that Stuart, a really good find. Tony

Thanks for the link Jerry. I've managed to find their war diary online but haven't read it yet.It starts at the end of June 44, it would have been good if it started from the 19th which is the day he landed in France. Tony