WW2 British Home Front Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Factory Fire Guard Helmet

Genuine helmet as worn by fire guard personnel at the Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Ltd factory who looked out for, and extinguish incendiary bombs during air raids in the Second World War. 

The Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Ltd had locations in Digbeth and Selly Oak. Although named 'battery' they did not manufacture electrical batteries, this refers to a method of metal production and forming sheet metal using a 'battery' of trip or aka tilt hammers. The factory specialised in manufacturing copper or brass tubes and other items from sheet metal. These were used in engines and vital for war production. Please see the images for a period Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Ltd advertisement (not included). 

The helmet features holes to the each side of the rim which denotes the helmet is made from steel which is not suitable for military service. This helmet is the MkII No2 C (made of a mild steel plate) as it features three holes to the helmet rim. One hole denotes a No2 A (made from manganese steel which was rejected for military use), Two holes denote a No2 B (made from a mild steel strip), and four for No2 D (made from mild steel). These helmets were issued to civil defence services on the home front who did not require a military grade helmet.

The helmet is in overall good original condition for its age and complete with original liner, liner pad and chinstrap. The helmet features original period paint to the exterior and interior; however, there is some light surface rust in places from age and one tab on the liner has a split (see pictures). These however, do not detract from the helmets overall appearance and it display very well.

The helmet shell features a decal of the Birmingham Battery and Metal Co Ltd logo to the front, manufactures stamp to the rim J.S.S (Joseph Sankey & Sons Ltd), number 318 to the rim denoting the factory designated helmet number, what appears to be the name Gyphus to the interior of the rim and manufactures stamp to the liner G&S (Gimson & Slater), size 7 and dated 1940 (see pictures).

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