Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great MkII flak helmet used during WWII by the U.S. Navy. This helmet is in great condition and has only very minor amounts of paint flaking and service wear around the rim and minimal surface rust.
This example is rough on the interior and could use a good cleaning. The padding is still fully intact, with the rubber still soft and no signs of the adhesive failing. It is however quite dirty, and definitely could use a good cleaning.
The MkII "Talker" helmet was developed in 1942 for naval personnel, allowing communications headgear to be easily worn under the helmet. It was a very large and somewhat ungainly helmet to wear though it did serve its purpose very well. It was designed to accommodate wearing headphones for Radiomen or anyone using shipboard sound-powered phones.
The Mk-2 was manufactured by the McCord Radiator Company in Detroit Michigan; the "Arsenal of Democracy. Its composition is non-magnetic Hadfield manganese steel. In addition to accommodating headphones, it also provided a great deal of protection to the wearer. The bowl is so wide it even provided some coverage to the shoulders of the sailor who was underneath it. Painted sea blue, the Mk II, like the Mk I, has cork applied with the paint to provide a textured, non-reflective surface. Very faintly marked on the inside rim USN and MK-2.
The new helmet was to protect "exposed deck personnel" and accommodate a telephone headset; furthermore, it had to be usable while wearing a gas mask and binoculars. Designated "USN MK-2", was at the time the largest helmet ever used in US service.
This is a great example of a service-worn Mk 2 Helmet, only missing the chinstrap. Ready for further research and display.
- This product is available for international shipping.
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