Tank crewman leather crash helmet : Italian Army

Black leather crash helmet as issued to and worn by Italian Army tank crewmen during the Second World War. Helmet has an adjustable leather chin strap, a fold up black leather neck flap attached to the inside. The outside of the crown has a distinctive padded bump ring around the edge.

During the Second World War the Benito Musolini led Fascist Italian Army was equipped with a range of armoured fighting vehicles. The crewmen aboard these vehicles wore these black leather helmets, regardless of whether they were in the olive fields of Northern Greece, the hills of Croatia or the hot sands of Libya and Egypt.

In North Africa during 1941 and 1942 Australian forces were heavily engaged in fighting the Fascist Italian Army. This includes Italian tank units such as the famous 132 Armored Divison 'Ariete' (132. Divisione Corazzata Ariete) using tanks such as the M13/40 Medium tank and M40 Semovente Self Propelled Gun.

This helmet is representative of the Italian armoured troops that the Australians fought against in North Africa during the Second World War. Today, this helmet is very rare in this condition. It has been modified at some point during or after the war, with a large badge on the front of the helmet being removed. Evidence of this badge can be seen up close where the original badge had been lightly impressed into the leather. It is likely that this helmet originally had a Bersaglieri badge as the indents and glue remnants on the helmet appear to indicate this famous unit. Sadly, this object has no known provenance.