BELGIUM CONGO COLONIAL PITH HELMET.

Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/19TH-CENTURY-WW1-RARE-BELGIUM-CONGO-COLONIAL-PITH-HELMET/402182119853?hash=item5da3ec21ad:g:9s8AAOSwcMNeehFp

I've never seen the Belgian flag as flashes on the side. Others would know better but why would a 19th century for Belgian Congo even have the Belgian flag as Congo Free State was ruled personally by Leopold II and not by the government of Belgium and it had a blue flag with yellow/gold star.

If it was post 1908 it seems wrong as well and way overdone. Why is a tunic button on the back? And the condition/construction seems similar to those various fake Turkish kalabacks that show up from the UK.
 
This is a complete fake. StukaF will place his comments about this later on, but really, I never saw something like this.
In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if that tunic button was Dutch on the back.

I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot bargepole. [-X

Greetings, Coert.
 
With this and the previous post, Michael and George Kittridge must have been pretty busy since the UK went into lockdown :wink:
 
Nothing to do with a official Belgian colonial officer!

However I like the helmet. Clearly a local made example.

The badge is missing the center part, I can not make out what it was.
The flag on the site doesn't show the wear the helmet does, so clearly recently applied.
Never saw a lion button on a Belgian pith helmet. Especially on the back. But it is clearly a WWI Belgian button.

Belgian flags where used at some point on pith helmet, but on later models and always in a diamond shape.
 
Can't find a pic of a helmet with the tricolor diamond on the side.
But found the regulations about it.
It was introduced in 1941, so clearly a other type of helmet.
And it was due to the fact Belgians and British where fighting on the same front in nearly the same uniforms.
They can be found in fabric or metal.
 
And this are the official buttons used in Belgian Congo.
Silver for police, gold for military.
 
Unless the colour is really faded that does not look like the colours of the Belgian flag. Looks like black, white and red to me. Maybe one of our Belgian friends could comment?

Peter
 
pebceb said:
Unless the colour is really faded that does not look like the colours of the Belgian flag. Looks like black, white and red to me. Maybe one of our Belgian friends could comment?
Click to expand...

It looks black/yellow/red to me.
 
Maybe it's my monitor but when I look at this picture it looks white, maybe dirty white but white.

Just my opinion.

Peter
 

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Of course it could be faded yellow I suppose? Can you tell I'm bored and tired of being stuck at home....
 
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