Pith helmet worn by member of 5th Battalion, Connaught Rangers, British Army : Hill 60, Gallipoli

Remains of a British pith helmet. The khaki cloth covering is damaged in many places, with two small holes near the front. Much of the stitching along the vertical seams, especially at the front, has come undone. The fabric around the border of the brim has detached from the helmet at the front and sides. The rear of the brim is caked in dried mud. A row of dried mud around the base of the crown is situated where a cotton puggaree would originally have been located.

The helmet has lost much of its shape due to damage to the cork base, with much of the cork misshapen or missing. The cork from the front of the brim has become detached from the rest of the helmet. The top of the crown is pushed in and has remains of dried mud around the top.

Most of the lining of the helmet has rotted away. There are two metal hooks in the helmet, to which a leather chin strap was once attached. A small piece of the strap is still attached to the hook on the left hand side. The inner crown carries a metal disc, with triangular holes and a bolt through it, which attaches to a small dome with three ventilation holes at the top of the outside of the crown.

This helmet was found near Hill 60 on 22 February 1919 by the Australian Historical Mission to Gallipoli. It was thought to have been worn by a member of the 5th Battalion, Connaught Rangers engaged in the attack on Hill 60 on 21/22 August 1915.

Hill 60 was included as an objective for the renewed Suvla offensive of 21 August. Its capture would link Suvla with the ANZAC beachhead. In this operation, Hill 60 and its surrounds were to be attacked from the southwest by the Connaught Rangers, New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade and the 4th Infantry Brigade AIF.

The attack was poorly coordinated and had inadequate artillery support. After some initial success, most of the troops were driven back by a Turkish counter-attack, leaving only the New Zealanders in possession of a small section of captured trench.

During the fighting the Connaught Rangers suffered 198 casualties from 700 men.