~ 1939 Dated Desert Rats Desert Camo Brodie Helmet ~
A nice and rare 7th Armoured Division ‘Desert Rats’ helmet, it looks like it has been left in a loft for many years to acquire a rust ‘patina’. Most of the sand colour paint remains with some rust stains. The desert rat decal has etched itself into the helmet. The liner is 1939 dated and has its top pad. The shell also dated to 1939.
~ Desert Rats ~
The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army. It was formed as the Mobile Division (Egypt) on 27 September 1938, after increased tensions between Britain and the Axis powers. This was part of an effort to reinforce and maintain the British strategic presence in Egypt to defend the Suez Canal, which was seen as vital to the British Empire’s interests. In February 1940, the formation was renamed as the 7th Armoured Division. During its early years, the jerboa was adopted as the mascot and divisional insignia giving rise to the nickname Desert Rats.
The division fought in most of the major battles of the Western Desert campaign, was then engaged in the Tunisian campaign, and this was followed by the participation in the Italian campaign. It was then withdrawn from Italy and dispatched to the United Kingdom, to prepare for Operation Overlord. In June 1944, it landed in France and subsequently fought across western Europe and ended the war in Kiel and Hamburg, Germany.
After the war it formed part of the British Army of the Rhine until it was disbanded in the 1950s. The division’s history and insignia was carried on by the 7th Armoured Brigade, until the brigade was disbanded in 2014, and is now maintained by the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team.
~ Condition ~
Please refer to the images for the condition. There is no chinstrap.
~ Dimensions ~
The helmet is 30cm (12 inches) in length and 29cm (11.25 inches) wide.
