Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original Canadian WWII Mk II steel helmet, manufactured in 1942 by Aluminium Goods Ltd. of Toronto, Ontario, complete with its liner, sprung web chinstrap, and a Canadian-pattern two-color brown and green helmet net. The shell retains a strong amount of its original smooth dark olive drab finish, while the liner and chinstrap show honest service wear. The manufacturer and date markings beneath the rim provide a particularly clear identification of this as a Canadian-produced wartime helmet.

The shell is overall in great shape with no major issues. The helmet net is a dark brown green color, with nice cotton construction, typical of the type used by Canadian and British forces during WWII. The helmet shell is stamped:

AG/C MKI B2
1942

AG/C stands for the Aluminum Goods Company of Toronto, who made helmets only in 1942.

The original liner is in very good used condition, with nice oil cloth, and only light wear from service. The liner is not marked with a size or maker, not uncommon for Canadian helmets. It is roughly size 6 3/4. The liner overall is great with crazing along the bend and some stiffness.

The chin strap is in good condition, and is in the typical light tan color. It is the standard type seen, with springs inside fabric on the end sections, and adjustable middle section.

The Mk II steel helmet was the principal British and Commonwealth combat helmet during the early and middle years of WWII and was manufactured in Canada in substantial numbers for Canadian forces. Although its basic form descended directly from the British steel helmets of WWI, the Mk II incorporated an improved liner, revised chinstrap system, and other refinements appropriate to modern field service.

Canadian industry began producing the Mk II after the outbreak of WWII. Canadian-made examples can be distinguished from British production by their manufacturer stamps, construction details, and characteristic factory finishes.

Aluminium Goods Ltd. represents one of the less extensive Canadian production runs. Specialist Canadian helmet research records that the company received a 1942 contract for approximately 66,000 helmet shells, much of that production being associated with Canadian military requirements, including the RCAF. The company’s shells are characteristically marked AG/C, followed by the body designation, steel batch code, and 1942 date.

The two-color brown and green helmet net is also strongly associated with Canadian WWII equipment. Surviving original Canadian Mk II helmets are documented with nets divided between olive green and dark brown sections, usually of knotted cotton construction.

Condition overall is very good, with the shell retaining substantial original paint and showing no major structural concerns. The liner remains complete with moderate crazing and stiffness, while the chinstrap remains serviceable in appearance. The two-color net is intact and gives the helmet the characteristic field appearance associated with Canadian forces during WWII.

With its AG/C MKI B2 / 1942 shell marking, strong original olive drab finish, complete liner, sprung web chinstrap, and Canadian-pattern brown and green helmet net, this is an especially representative example of Canadian wartime headgear and a strong addition to a collection focused on Canadian forces, Commonwealth equipment, WWII steel helmets, or Canadian wartime manufacturing.