Canadian helmet with unknown insignia

[relichelmet]

Hello Guys I have this helmet in my collection it has stamped markings on the inside that read C.L./C. 1941 for the canadian motorlamp company. The helmet was found in a fleamarket in germany. It has a insignia painted on the front four red diamonds inside each other. I have been trying to find out if this a divisional insignia or something else but with no luck. Someone suggested communications unit as the insignia looks like radio antenna or directional/locating type but I have had no definite answers. On the inside there is penciled service number H 613579. I asked around about it and this is the information I got about the service number:

The service number belongs issued to 10 Military District NRMA

recruits, so

it would seem your helmet was issued to a Zombie from Manitoba or

Northern

Ontario. It may be he eventually volunteered to go overseas or was one

of

the hapless batch that went anyway in late 1944.

I asked about the term "Zombie" as I was not familiar with it:

NRMA was the National Resources Mobile

Resources which allowed conscription for home defence. Until the very

last

months of the War only volunteers were sent overseas. Needless to say

those

conscripted under NRMA were "encouraged" to volunteer. Those chose not

to

too and preferred to remain safe in Canada (albeit some were sent to

the

Aleutian Islands or the West Indies) were called "Zombies" by the

Canadian

Army Overseas, which by late 1944, badly needed replacements.

If anyone has some answers or theories then I would appreciate to hear them Best Regards Thorsteinn.

[relichelmet]

Markings

[relichelmet]

liner

[relichelmet]

top

[Chris Boonzaier]

Is that a bullethole or did you drop it? ;-)

[peter monahan]

Yes, the unflattering name for those who volunteered for "home service only" was "zombies". During the Italian campaign we were so short of reinfoprcements that a number of home guard types were drafted for overseas service. The government - surprise surprise - broke it's word. I take no position one way or the other - we were at war - but in one camp the men mutinied, took a gun up the hill outside camp and threatened to shell the train on the siding in camp if it loaded any troops. The authorities backed down and it was hushed up. Not a shining moment!

The markings do not likely represent an antennae - Cdn markings didn't work like that, generally - but likely a brigade or divisional patch. Try this site and see if someone there can help: www.canadiansoldiers.com.

Peter

Edited January 30, 2007 by peter monahan

[relichelmet]

Thank you for your replies Gentlemen. Chris yes that is a bullethole. Peter I will try that site and see if I will find anything, I will inform you guys if I do.

Best Regards Thorsteinn.