British K-Pattern Sun Helmet

Peter_Suciu

Well-known member
This particular sun helmet has been my "white whale" and I've been chasing it for years. Not this helmet exactly but this pattern. It is a wicker/pith helmet known as the K-Pattern. It was tested by the British Army circa 1900, as an alternative to the British made cork helmets. This pattern is made of wicker and sola pith instead of cork, and was made in India (cork helmets tended to be made in Europe whereas pith helmets were made in India and the Far East).

I finally obtained this after convincing an eBay seller to end the auction early as eBay UK wouldn't allow him to take bids from America. The helmet showed up last Friday and it gave me a fright! I tracked the package and it said, "signed for," but it wasn't here. The mailman decided since he was running late to enter it as delivered and signed for it!

K-Pattern1_zps7umhy3ln.jpg


K-Pattern2_zpsji5b8v8l.jpg


K-Pattern3_zpsnwzuxkwd.jpg
 
RON said:
Almost the same as your avatar.
Same in a vague sort of way, but otherwise completely different actually. The helmet in my avatar is a British made cork helmet, whereas the K-Pattern is Indian made and is made of sola pith. Here are images of the cork helmet again:

pith1.jpg


pith2.jpg
 
were these helmets never fitted with a plate or anything just like the germans did with there helmets or is it only a tchin strap and thats it
never seen sutch helmet
thanks for sharring it with the group

jonas
 
kaiser said:
were these helmets never fitted with a plate or anything just like the germans did with there helmets or is it only a tchin strap and thats it
never seen sutch helmet
thanks for sharring it with the group

Movies like Zulu suggest that helmet plates were widely used, but the reality is that for the most part the British didn't use big helmet plates on the Foreign Service Helmet.

Most British regiments did NOT use helmet plates on these helmets.
 
Back
Top