British Mkiii, Mkiv, Mkv Turtle helmet

This video is on one of the longest serving British helmets, the turtle helmet family. The British durring wwii realized they need to upgrade their helmet design which had changed very little since the First World War. In 1941 the mkii was designed and accepted with an over all 38% increase in protection and being simpler and requiring nearly the same amount of resources and time to produce. This helmet would serve in its original for the mkiii pattern from 1943 to the end of World War Two. In 1944 the design would change slightly moving the chinstrap baled lower and changing how the liner attached to the shell. In the 1950’s the mkiii’s would be mostly updated to mkiv’s. Later the helmets would revived a new vastly improved liner which was much more comfortable and user friendly to the soldier as well as providing more impact dissipation which reduced trauma to the head and brain. Hopefully you liked this video and subscribed if you like this sort of stuff. Please leave a comment with any questions, additional information, user experiences, or suggestions for future videos and I will do my best to answer them. Thanks for watching.
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Devin K.

[@andrewbage3250]

The foam in the top would flatten over time and the top of the rivet (we called it a nipple in our corps) would hit you in the head giving you an almighty headache, so some of us used to cut up an old army towel or any padded cloth and put them in the inside of the helmet to help prevent the top of the head being constantly hit by said nipple, it was uncomfortable to wear and you also sweated buckets because of the liner and foam.

[@andrewjohnston4127]

We still had those style of helmets in 1991. There was a pile of them in the guard room for the guys on fire piquet duty. Painted red and God knows how often they were cleaned cos they were stinking

[@andrewfox6631]

I remember seeing them in the QM department at dale camp Chester in 91 when I was in the Cheshire regiment

[@andrewjohnston4127]

@@andrewfox6631 Cheshire regiment, funnily enough my first posting was in fally, we'd have been there the same time 😁 I was on the other camp living with the Scots doggys

[@andrewfox6631]

@@andrewjohnston4127 yes, I was in fally 91-94...

[@66kbm]

Was issued a Mk5 in 84, was replaced by a Mk6 in 86. I remember in training how dificult it was to go into the prone position whilst in full 1958 pattern web gear with pack with sleeping bag attached on top. No doubt it was designed with 1937 pattern Haversack in mind, with the elastic chin strap whilst going prone the sleeping bag had a habit of knocking it off your head. We did actually start to wear them the other way round for a while especially whilst on full CEMO, marching order route marches, that sleeping bag comes way above your head height. For reference, see how many pics you can of the British Army in the Falklands in full marching order wearing thier helmets except for Paras who where issued a different helmet. Edit, the inner we called the "Spider", "Ring" and "Sock", i think that is self explanatory.

[@jackabel76]

Thank you for your service🙏

[@steelcider-9508]

Didn’t know this helmet existed. Very cool

[@jaydavis6834]

Great video man! I didn't know anything this britsh helmet, thank you.

[@DevinK]

Glad I could help you learn something

[@andysanger7723]

Just like to say mate best utude helmet review better then our british reviews so 👍👍👍👍👍

[@DevinK]

Thank you

[@MrKaido93]

Excellent insightful historical and technical information on the British "Turtle " helmet series. I wonder what kind of steel these Turtle helmets were made out of? Are there numerous sizes of the Turtle helmets? I got to get a MK V for my helmet collection The German WW2 Whermacht's Medical command seeking a better protective helmet design and simplicity reduction of manufacturing steps came up with several experimental combat helmet designs, one of which was very similar to the British Turtle helmet design.

[@Thomachi]

Proper good stuff.

[@bozworth1496]

Brilliant!

[@stevethomas5849]

my Dad had the MK 5 with that liner very comfortable.

[@jameslawson8032]

I have a Mk 2 issued to the Australian Army in WW2. Same as your Canadian one, pretty much. The 'elastic' bit in the chin strap is actually a pair of metal springs on each side, which is probably why it still has that 'springy' feel so many years later.

[@DevinK]

The mkiii and iv chinstraps are actually just a long piece of elastic strap because it was easier to make then the mkii chin strap

[@jameslawson8032]

@@DevinK That would make sense. The metal springs are sewn inside that light canvas type cloth and attached at either end to helmet and the chin piece. Labour intensive! Maybe the metal springs were easier to produce and more plentiful than rubber during the war?

[@josemenesesrodriguez9742]

Saludos desde México good video👌🇲🇽

[@davidbell8320]

Oh wonderful, issued mine in the 80's, I found it uncomfortable tbh.

[@jefesalsero]

What helmets were most common with Commonwealth forces during the Battles for Imphal and Kohima (Burma - early 1944) - Mark II or Mark III?

[@DevinK]

Mkii

[@peterscotney1]

Bloody hated these helmets ...I wore mine as little as possible... when you ran the inside liner nipple would dig into you're head and give you mild brain damage ! Best use for em was either washing your feet in em ...or target practice ! 10:34

[@MySkyranger]

Did Britain have a department for silly military equipment. No doubt to make the enemy incapable of fighting due to falling around laughing.

[@thebuilder3700]

you should do a WZ 2005 ballistic test, no one has done that before

[@DevinK]

Yeah because hey are really rare and expensive here in america so if you have you will let me shoot I will

[@thebuilder3700]

@@DevinK I only have one, so no spares really. I know that they cost around 450zl (around £80) in Poland so if you factor in shipping that's probs £130 ish to the states

[@DevinK]

@@thebuilder3700 to bad you can’t ship it to me without risk because of ITAR rules

[@robertmunoz7543]

COWABUNGA!🤪 Jman

[@andysanger7723]

👍🇬🇧

[@marekohampton8477]

Fnar fnar he said "rim of the helmet" 🤭

[@andrewfox6631]

What date is your MK2 Canadian helmet...

[@DevinK]

It’s Canadian and 1941

[@andrewfox6631]

@@DevinK cheers. I've got a 1939 dated British helmet , that's got a mk 1 star liner and a 1945 dated MK4 British helmet. I use to have a south African helmet and another British MK1/2 helmet but sadly, much to my regret. No longer have them.

[@jackabel76]

Hey I’m a collector and I recently got a 1944 British marines helmet. How do you take out the liner?

[@DevinK]

So what helmet model is it?

[@jackabel76]

@@DevinK 1944-1993 British marines

[@jackabel76]

@@DevinK I think mk4 or 3

[@DevinK]

@@jackabel76 that’s not a helmet model

[@DevinK]

@@jackabel76 ok if it’s a 3 it’s a screw at the top if it’s a 4 there is a lift the dot stud and you can feel the tab for it under the crown pad and just unsnap it.

[@jackkp9633]

so I have either a mk4 or mk5 helmet with no liner or strap, nothing, just the helmet. can anyone help me identify which it is. On the inside it says RO&CO LL 1953

[@DevinK]

The mk4’s and 5’s are the same except the liner.

[@jackkp9633]

@@DevinK Oh ok thanks alot

[@Mk1rceme]

R.O. & Co. - Rubery Owen & Company

[@Admodeus]

The liner in my one is all crusty and hard, I thought it was leather and dried out so I rubbed some mink oil on it.

[@DevinK]

It won’t do much it’s oil cloth.

[@Admodeus]

@@DevinK Well I glad I found that out via your video, do you know if there is anyway to rejuvenate old oil cloth?

[@DevinK]

@@Admodeus not really once it’s shot it’s shot.

[@Admodeus]

@@DevinK I've just checked on the helmet and the liner does appear and feel less stiff and crusty. The mink oil is still on it, not completely dried, so I don't know how long this will last.

[@user-tf6nt6xx4j]

Эх, если бы ты еще и по-русски говорил...

[@jackabel76]

Да немного and English

[@pinyaaaaaaa]

How do you put the net

[@DevinK]

What do you mean?

[@pinyaaaaaaa]

@@DevinK Sorry about my english its not my first language

[@DevinK]

@@pinyaaaaaaa you mean how to attach it?

[@pinyaaaaaaa]

@@DevinK yes

[@DevinK]

@@pinyaaaaaaa it just has a drawstring woven through you pull tight and tie when it’s over the helmet.

[@historicmilitaria1944]

theres no such thing as a mkv helmet...the confusion lies in the british armys first ballistic nylon helmet of 1986 being called a mk6...the timeline is , mk1 which is the classic ww1 tommy helmet...mk2,the classic ww2 tommy helmet...mk3 the then new turtle helmet for some d day units and the far east campaign...mk4 which is the postwar dated turtle shell with postwar liner..and.....in 1959 the mk4 helmet liner was replaced by the mk5 liner which was fitted to the mk4 shell.....its the actual liner which is called the mk5, not the helmet as its just the already existing mk4 shell ....the british army, when looking for a name for their new nylon helmet in 1986 did a liner count...and went...mk1 liner is the ww1 one...mk2 liner is the ww2 one..mk3 liner is the turtle d day to far east one...mk4 liner is the postwar date turtle one....mk5 liner is the revised turtle one.....so they called the 1986 helmet a mk6...and thats where the confusion lies...the only place the mk4 helmet with revised mk5 liner is called a mk5 helmet is on the collector circuit

[@robertmunoz7543]

COWABUNGA!🤪 Jman