Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition original WWII British MK I Dispatch Rider helmet. The shell has original paint with no major dents or dings that we can see, just a bit of scuffing and flaking, with a few scratches on the top from storage. The Leather liner and ear flaps are soft and supple, though there is a bit of verdigris around the buttons, eyelets and buckle. The leather liner is nicely marked with BMB and dated 1945, and is marked with size 7 inside a shield. BMB is the marking for Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd., who also made Brodie and other helmets for the British war effort. The wool felt ear padding is still completely intact, which is rare, as it degrades easily. The chin strap snap still works, as does the buckle, and the rear lacing is intact.
The British Dispatch Rider’s Helmet:
The MkII paratrooper helmet shell was also used for dispatch riders during and after World War II. It was introduced in 1942 and features a front pad and leader neck flap that forms a double chinstrap. This is a great example of the classic WWII British Dispatch Rider helmet that will make a great addition to any collection.
With a vital role at a time when telecommunications were limited and insecure, dispatch riders, usually mounted on horseback or motorcycle, were used to carry urgent orders and messages from headquarters to various other military units. When needed, they would also deliver carrier pigeons to units that requested them.
In the British Army, motorcycle dispatch riders were first used in World War I by the Royal Engineers Signal Service. The riders were originally volunteers, some of whom supplied their own machines. The British often referred to dispatch riders as Don R's during World War 2. In World War II, Royal Corps of Signals soldiers carried out the role and the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team was formed from their number. They were also used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, where they maintained contact with land bases and some of the riders were members of the Women's Royal Naval Service. The British military often used Triumph Motorcycles for this purpose.
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