WWII Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft carrier deck handler's helmet.

 

A very scarce accessory - cotton helmet as worn by Royal Navy deck crews while manhandling aircraft on the flight decks of aircraft carriers during WWII. Each colour denoted a specific role or duty and I believe royal blue indicated starboard general duties. Simple unlined cotton helmet with a chin strap and buckle (essential for it not to be blown off in the high winds and propwash). Size 2 (Large) in unissued condition.  See last photos for wartime colour photos of helmets being worn on cover and editorial in Illustrated News dated 1943. Note: this helmet is not the same as the US Navy issue deck helmets which were often modified into flying helmets by USN pilots. Very scarce item.

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ON HOLD

RAAF Type B helmet, double-named with Stagg's label.

 

Very good RAAF Type B zip-eared helmet, with a great Stagg's label and two owner's names: Moen and Matthews. Leather is in good, supple condition, slightly light faded as is common with the period dyes used. Chamois lining is clean. The interior chamois has been cut back around the openings to make provision for a headset. The helmet is also fitted with its "face defenders" which could be attached to a Type D oxygen mask. Medium size - displays well. A nice helmet which a possibility for research into the names.

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$375 / £265 / €210

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Scarce early USAF Type P-1B jet helmet of "Air Defense Command".

 

One of the earliest – and most scarce of the USAF P series jet helmets. The P-1 series was introduced in 1948 - just a year after the founding of the USAF. The P-1A and P-1B included minor modifications to the suspension/neck strap etc. This helmet needs some care, but most all it needs cleaning, and could, I believe either be displayed as is or be restored into a great example. The shell is good. the leather is dry and would benefit form leather food, but appears to me to be intact and complete for the most part (one separation where leather attaches to webbing neck band). Receivers are still in place through wiring needs to be replaced; microphone jack is still attached on left hand side. Good label. An "Air Defense Command" decal has been placed over the USAF decal. A fair to good example of what is a very rare early jet helmet.

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$250 / £180 / €210

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RCAF Type B helmet in great used condition, good size 2 or 3.

 

Not as common as they once were, this lovely Canadian made flying helmet is  in great condition, showing light use but no excessive wear. It's actually hard to find one that has any use - most seem to be unissued, as strange as that sounds! This is a good size, probably a generous 2 or possibly a 3 and sits perfectly on a display head.  High quality chestnut brown leather with chamois lining and correct RCAF marked foam cushions in the ears. Non-matching zip pullers. A great example. Note: final picture with GP&R oxygen mask is for display only; mask is available separately.

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$299 / £210 / €245

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RCAF late war summer "mesh" flying helmet.

 

Similar in design and construction to the RAF Type E helmet, this Canadian made version differs in being a heavier mesh, with leather reinforcements around the earcups and a leather chin cup/strap. It also has additional stud/snap fasteners for attaching an external wiring loom (not included). The helmet is used and shows slight wear, with a couple of very small snags in the mesh (not actually holes and does not show on display or detract from appearance). The felt ear pads or "donuts" have been ravaged by something over the years, and while they could be restored, this also does not detract from the display since they are not visible from the outside. Unusually, the helmet retains its elaborate leather chin cup, which is usually missing from these helmets. Size 5 and labeled to Buffalo Cap Co. A good displayable example of what is actually quite a scarce helmet.

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ON HOLD

AAF Type A-1 Visor for A-11 or ANH-15 flying helmet.

 

Green cotton covered visor, with webbing tapes and two snaps/press studs for attaching to specially modified A-11 or ANH-15 flying helmets, for aircrews flying in bright sunlight.

Well marked, excellent condition showing light use.

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$75 / £55 / €65

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RAF Type G Flying Helmet in green cotton, dated 1990 and size 4.

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The often undervalued and underrated Type G helmet was first issued in the mid 1950s and continued in service until the 1990s. Initially designed to be worn under the Mk I "bone dome" it could also be worn alone and remained  ever popular with the crews of transport and reconnaissance aircraft throughout its service life as a more comfortable alternative to just a headset. This example is one of the last made, and is in virtually mint condition. The green fabric is impeccable and the white leather ear pads are unblemished. Fully wired with receivers and plugs and size 4, the largest size produced.

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$60 / £45 / €50 

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RAF Type C Flying Helmet, first internally wired model as introduced in March1944. Large size 3.

 

Excellent example of the first model internally-wired Type C helmet announced in AMOs March, 1944. Sometimes referred to as "3-tab" version because the wiring is fully internal and there are only 3 tabs at the rear for securing the goggles (later models of Type C, and the internally-wired Type D and E helmets, had 2 additional short tabs for securing the cord and are referred to as "5-tab" models). This is a very clean helmet showing light use but no wear or damage. Leather is superb, interior chamois only slightly dusty. Includes complete wiring and correct Type 32 telephone receivers. Of interest is the fact that the microphone plug socket on the left cheek is secured by running the bolt and nut through the helmet. Verdigris on the inside indicates it has been that way for a very long time!  Helmet is a large size 3 and is overall in well above average condition. 

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ON HOLD

RAF Type G helmet, Cold War era.

 

Nice complete example of the Type G flying helmet which replaced the wartime Type E and served both as a flying helmet in heavy bombers and transports, and as a liner for the "bone-dome" crash helmet in fighter jets. The Type G had a long and illustrious career, from the mid 1950s until the early 1980s, changing from traditional RAF blue-grey to NATO green along the way. This is a nice early example, dated 1965, placing it right in the midst of the Cold War. It is named and the owner has also added his initials to the outside over the left receiver housing. Size 2 (medium) but these were generously sized and made from stretchy airtex material for a good fit. Complete with receivers, wiring and plugs. Slightly grubby from use but overall very good condition.

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$100 / £75 / €85  email to secure this item

AAF Type A-9 Flying Helmet, size medium.

 

The very basic summer weight flying helmet with which the US Army Air Corps entered WWII.​ A simple, unlined OD cotton skull cap with a leather chin strap wrapped in shearling, with shearling pads on the inside to cover the ears and webbing patches sewn to the outside securing hooks to which the A-9 and A-10 Standard oxygen mask would then be attached. It also has drawstring cords for tightening the brow and nape. These helmets were intended to fit very tightly and therefore sizes tend to run on the small side. This is a size medium which is actually quite generous. It has the addition of webbing tapes with snaps mounted so that a later A-10A or A-14 oxygen mask may be worn. It has a small tear at the back where the cotton fabric has separated but apart from that looks to be unissued or unworn. While once considered very common, like everything else, these are beginning to dry up.

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$50 / £37 / €42  email to secure this item

Early Luftwaffe model FK34 Summer Flying helmet.

 

A very early production FK34 Summer Flying Helmet in very good clean condition. Nice salt and pepper weave cotton fabric body with brown cotton lining, leather trim and heavily plated hardware. Super high quality. This helmet was designed for pre-radio days and was usually worn by pilots of single seat aircraft, and even gliders (many early photos show this type of helmet being worn by Me109 pilots). Condition is great. It has a simple label inside with the RB Number printed and size 55, pretty small - suggesting perhaps a young trainee glider pilot. Early examples like this are not common.

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$180 / £130 / €150  email to secure this item

WWI US Air Service issue pattern flying helmet.

 

The standard pattern flying helmet as issued to aviators in the US Army Air Service at the tail end of WWI. Soft leather helmet lined with blanket wool, with rectangular ear flaps, long chin strap and short bill. It also had short goggle retaining tabs on each side and was stamped on the back with Quartermaster's Stores information. The ink stamping, in reddish purple ink, is almost always blurred to obliteration, but contained words to the effect of "US Air Service" followed by a date (usually May 1918 based upon previous examples I have handled). The ink stamping is illegible but obvious what it represents. One of the goggle tabs is missing, and there is a small square area of leather worn away on the rear, otherwise this helmet is in good condition. Few are found these days due to to the poor quality of leather and tanning process used, this being a rare survivor in above average condition.

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$300 / £260 / €280

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Lovely RCAF Canadian made Type B flying helmet in a large size 3.

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Excellent example of the Canadian made flying helmet based on the iconic RAF Type B. Lovely soft chestnut brown leather with soft chamois lining, zipped ear compartments for telephone receivers (not fitted), leather chin strap and chrome plated metal buckles. Inside is marked with broad arrow inside a large "C" and size 3. It is also named iniside one of the ear cups. A really nice gently used example.

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$350 / £250 / €290  email to secure this item

AAF Type A-11 flying helmet size Medium by Fox Chase Knitting Mills.

 

Nice example of a used - but not abused - A-11 flying helmet manufactured by Fox Chase Knitting Mills, one of the least often encountered labels in my experience. Leather is excellent, chamois lining is a little grubby from wear but there is no damage. Has several names written inside and then inked out. The small U-shaped lock on the chin strap buckle is absent but could easily be replaced and pilots almost never buckled their helmets anyway. Nice decal to side is 90% complete, which is unusual - these "water slide" decals almost always wore away. Size medium which makes it the perfect size for display on a standard male feature head. No receivers or wiring fitted. 

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$150 / £122 / €126  email to secure this item

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Scarce 1920s US Navy intermediate / lightweight flying helmet.

 

This is a scarce early US Navy issue intermediate weight flying helmet, made from super high quality glove leather lined with chamois. Though the helmet is sadly not in pristine condition, the leather is still soft and pliable and actually displays well. The surface of the leather has dried out and rubbed from being folded and perhaps improperly stored, but it does not appear to be rotted or weak and the wear is to the surface. t is most noticeable on the centerline where it was folded, around the edge and the rear panel at the nape. The snaps for the goggle straps have partially pulled through but remain secure. The chamois lining has separated at the crown on the inside. However, the leather is strong and the helmet displays well. It is of the unusual pattern with the extremely long "lappi" style chin strap and buckle.  The helmet is well marked "USN" with a size tag that reads "7" and is named in two places to "Cox." A seldom seen helmet that would certainly fill a gap in most collections until a better replacement can be found. Priced according to its condition but a very scarce helmet nonetheless.

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$135 /  £105 / €120  email to secure this item