British Army 'Cromwell' Anti-Riot Helmet

A look at the British 'Cromwell' anti-riot helmet.
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[@spm36]

I wore one of these in the 80s in NI...it was like running about with a church bell in ya head!

[@RiflemanMoore]

Yes, that's an apt description!

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Argyle nice

[@OscarOSullivan]

@@RiflemanMooreI have always wondered why British soldiers in Northern Ireland wore DPM smocks on the top but olive trousers on the bottom

[@TimStamper89]

I love the fact we went to Ulster and wore a helmet named, colloquially, after a chap who wasnt that popular there to say the least

[@richthompson1234]

In 1983, my issue 'Cromwell' had 2 x rubber cups/washers on either pivot points for the visor. They were about 1"-2" in diameter and I believe we're an attempt to keep the visor on the top of the helmet, as an option, as opposed to allowing it to sit fully over the back of the head, which caused the helmet to become unbalanced. I didn't ask, back then, whether these were officially issued or an adaptation by the previous owner!!!

[@mh53j]

Seems I read somewhere ( have to search around) that original nomenclature was supposed to be "fragmentation, anti-riot, topper" but was changed because the acronym wasn't very complementary....

[@RiflemanMoore]

That would fit yes, I think I've read the same somewhere and the reasoning for the change!

[@TimStamper89]

@@RiflemanMoore yet calling it a Cromwell wasnt seen as an issue, in Northern Ireland. Fun times

[@harry9392]

In my unit we used them when doing top cover on mobile patrols , the helmets would never stay at the angle you wanted, loads of guys across the province had their feild dressings wedged between the visor, and helmet

[@andrewjohnston4127]

Just re watching this, managed to get one last month. Seller on ebay had a load of them for 15 quid each. Tidied up the liner and it's almost as good as new. No visor sadly but hopefully will pick up one soon

[@RiflemanMoore]

I picked one up too, simply as they included the chin cup!

[@norwegianwiking]

But is it rated for brick-filled fridges dropped from great height off the Divis flats?

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

No but was fantastic for putting the head into ira Scrum faces. And breaking a few noses. Simple

[@davehopkin9502]

Never had a fridge in the Divis just a telly..... went off like f'king bomb... made a change from bottles of piss though

[@RiflemanMoore]

I'm not testing mine!

[@norwegianwiking]

@@RiflemanMoore i've read a story about a Land Rover not faring well, so I think we can extrapolate from there.

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

@@norwegianwiking read a story lol my brother was in one that got hit by a few rounds one night. And my cousin was in one hit by a bus ops. Never mind my uncle sitting in the back of one when a petrol bomb got sent flying into the inside. He ended up with Burns on his back and arms. Oh my favourite someone I knew jumped on a moving one and held on to the window bars going up the Newtownards road in the 90s lol. Oh I pinched a full set of body armour out of one drunk one night. My dad made me return it . I was 15 mun went nuts and I was sent up for two weeks to my bedroom after school. My dad wasn't happy because it was his beer I got drunk on ops

[@johnshanahan8477]

Fantastic video as allways. Have one of these helmets in my collection my self . Well dun

[@RiflemanMoore]

Many thanks! They are a very interesting bit of kit.

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

My mate had one of these on top of his kitchen cupboard for year's. I think he took a loan of it from stores and forgot to return it many years ago. Everyone I knew thought it was funny a so call Paddy doing NI training to protect himself from his own people. It took a wee bit of explaining to everyone how I knew how to make homemade toys at 17 years old .And what to throw at people. But that's the joys of having family in the RUC and UDR when growing up in Belfast in the 70s. But as an army cadet before I joined up we used to be taken by bus to throw stuff at the army a few times with wooden blocks and bin lid shields in a big old aircraft hanger. But in real life as someone who has stood facing the army and police for whatever reasons it was always funny when you seen a friend or family member in uniform on the other side lol. The joys of living in Northern Ireland.

[@RiflemanMoore]

A strange experience indeed, not something I can really imagine, as you say though, the norm I'm sure, for many.

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

@@RiflemanMoore here's the thing in the 1970/80s no one mixed. At work yes but after no. The bar's most of them had very strong doors and some was members only. I joined the Orange at 17 and Black 18 when I was still in the Army I joined at 16 I could have refused to be posted here well and for a few days before going home I could have stopped getting a hair cut. And I Matched on the 12th etc. When the orange called you out on the streets you went. I was save because I knew everyone family members friends all orange men. We blocked roads fought the police and army. But never use guns weapons or petrol bombs. We still knew to many people in the army police to want to hurt anyone. But pushing and name calling was allowed. Only reason I never joined the uvf or uda was because I was in the army and away from Northern Ireland in my younger age. But family members joined them and was locked up for it. One member in the 60s was killed by the ira and one killed by the uda . Before I was born. But my uncle David Brown Sergeant RUC was killed in 82 just before my big cousin was sent to the Falklands para. So he missed the funeral. I carried a pistol for a bit but give it up Mum didn't like them at home. In the army I was given a list of bars and clubs not to go into. But I did because family members was all members of the club's.i knew big Ian and all the DUP. And spend a night behind bars for calling a big large police officer a few names I was 19 and drunk. But as soon as they worked out I was army I was kicked out the door because the Sergeant on duty knew my dad and that was that. I had to buy a box of beer as a thank you.i can talk about it now because simple reason they all dead now from age to illness. So no one can do anything about it now lol.

[@waspsallows2437]

This is not the same same helmet obviously that the army wore in Ulster mid 1970s on urban foot patrols, open hatch gunners in Land Rovers and Saracens. The helmet I've been trying to find out about can be seen in the documentary "Children In Crossfire 1974" at about 8:50 in kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYDNdIhuhZhqedU - if anyone knows the name or info on that helmet please leave a reply, thanks

[@RiflemanMoore]

These appear to be the similar, earlier Stadium helmets without the visor fitted.

[@waspsallows2437]

@@RiflemanMoore "Stadium Helmets" right, hmm.. motorcycle helmets which offered no real ballistic protection, many thanks for the reply and this video

[@timli2611]

is it possible to wear one of these with a respirator?

[@georgesmith5708]

Thanks, very informative video, as always. For sure a helmet of this shape is more suitable as anti-riot equipment than the previous steel shell. But is It better when wearing a gas mask too?

[@RiflemanMoore]

It is possible to wear an S6 with this, yes. Whether it's better I'm not sure, it doesn't really impede wear.

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

@@RiflemanMoore but the thing is that using teargas you had to wear it. Plus they was very useful for hiding your face from people you didn't want to know you. When you was in a bad place

[@muwuny]

Apt name

[@johnraptis8953]

Simon this helmet wearing the Brit forces in Ireland from 1969???????

[@66kbm]

I did my NI training with this helmet but imediatly before deployment we recieved the Mk6 with anti riot attacments.that was early 86.

[@66kbm]

As far as i am aware, this is the same Cromwell Motorcycle helmet in issue to the British Army but with a different visor attached. The ones we recieved for training were a so called "Job Lot" including INIBA jackets, body armour, and the Pigs, around 30 of them. The Helmets were a bit worn out as the Visors were either fully back or forward, no floating. All these items were to train a RCT Squadron of around 120/130 persons.

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

Never used them in Ireland now they did use them in Northern Ireland which is a different country part of the UK .

[@RiflemanMoore]

No, as I say in the video they were introduced in the 1970s.

[@fintonmainz7845]

@@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603 not for long