can u id this pith helmet flash black triangle no2

[microscope1967]

Hi I believe this to be an officers thought pls tell me if Im wrong as it has inside the helmet little wooden block spacers I believe from the markings 158 over broad arrow with letter c or u underneath it to be 1915-18 but I may well be wrong

[museumtom]

If the arrow is in the U it means South Africa.

[Sepoy]

The fact that the helmet has issue markings it is unlikely to belong to an Officer. Officers would have purchased their own helmet which is likely to be marked with a Military approved suppliers label.
How many folds does the pugree have?

Sepoy

[FROGSMILE]

There is a chap in the Victorian Wars Forum by the name of Stuart Bates who is a published author on these helmets along with Peter Suciu. If you post there I am sure that he will try and help.

[microscope1967]

Thank you Sounds daft but how do I count the folds and what does this denote. And I will join Victorian forum thanks

[microscope1967]

inside it did at one time have a small paper label

[Sepoy]

Thank you Sounds daft but how do I count the folds and what does this denote. And I will join Victorian forum thanks

I have been told in the past that one way of visually telling a WWII Wolseley pattern helmet from a WW1 was the number of times the puggaree is wrapped around. If it has only been wrapped around 4 or 5 times it was likely to be WWII - if the puggaree was wrapped around numerous times (ie you can see multiple pleats/folds) then it could well be WW1 or earlier. I could not make my mind up from your photograph whether the puggaree on your helmet was wrinkled or had been wrapped multiple times.

Messrs Bates and Suciu, mentioned above by Frogsmile, also have a website covering Military Sun Helmets

see here

http://www.militarysunhelmets.com/

Sepoy

[Andrew Upton]

Have a look at what I wrote in post 4 of the following thread:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=145568

In this case all looks good for a WW1-era Wolsely, in particular the "number/s - over /I\ - over letters" marking as described is a good indicator this is not a later piece.

[microscope1967]

[Andrew Upton]

That marking would be 158 over W/I\D over the letter O - a letter commonly seen on headgear markings relating to Great War headgear.

[microscope1967]

Thank you

i was in the vickers MGC group as my Grandfather was in it in ww1

[SEnnever]

I have a photograph of a soldier sitting down with the Wolsely pith on a table beside him.The helmet also shows a black triangular flashing but cannot make out any other distinguishing features. He served in Iraq around 1916 and his name is Edward Forrest. Anyone know what regiment he would serve?

[Jerry B]

Certainly an early example but it is an or's for the reason mentioned above as it has an issue stamp but also officers piths have a leather trim not fabric such as this has.  A very fine example

[SEnnever]

Sorry, here is the photograph. Would anyone be able to tell me which regiment please? Iraq c.1916

[FROGSMILE]

He has black, Rifles pattern GS buttons, and a dark triangle split vertically, half black and half rifle green (a very dark shade), was the helmet flash of the Rifle Brigade IIRC.

Edited 18 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE

[SEnnever]

Many thanks frogsmile for pointing me in the right direction. I think that I have found him belonging to the 17th London Rifle Regiment. (Pte Edward Forrest, 4020) It uses the same black triangle flash as the photos above. From what I can gather they fought in Palestine. Could the no 2 badge attached to the original pith photograph indicate the 2nd Battalion?

Edited 25 February , 2019 by SEnnever

[FROGSMILE]

4 hours ago, SEnnever said:

 Could the no 2 badge attached to the original pith photograph indicate the 2nd Battalion?

 

I don’t believe so, no.  It was not very common to use a battalion number, and the feather hackle was not generally used by rifle regiments at that time (although it was used by the Cameronians much later, between the wars).

[poona guard]

On 17/02/2019 at 22:23, SEnnever said:

Sorry, here is the photograph. Would anyone be able to tell me which regiment please? Iraq c.1916

Hi,

He's in the London Regiment - not sure which until I run it through a colour process. Please can I use it in my book on the badges of the TF Infantry in the Great War - you would of course be acknowledged in it.

Kind regards,

Dave Bilton

[poona guard]

Just run it and he was in the 2/18th Londons - the patch is green - London Irish.

Dave

[SEnnever]

Hi Dave, that would be no problem at all to use the photograph. Would love to see the colour process result and good luck with your book!

Regards,

Simon Ennever