VINTAGE FDNY WAR YEAR LIDS

Now who did not have one of these with the handset?...I helped an older kid with his paper route, at the end of the week he gave me a $1 and bought me a Mounds Candy Bar at the Texaco station that was a part of his route. Every week I saw about a dozen of these beauties on a back shelf, I think they wanted $5.99 at the time. I finally got up the cash and bought one...my first order was to my younger brother..."get out of my room"
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This was my Uncle Jacks helmet, my lifetime mentor. He gave it to me when he left R3 for L31 sometime in early 70's when I was a young buff. I have treasured it since. He also gave me another helmet which replaced this one from E45. Upon his death, I returned the E45 helmet to his family, they had another helmet, too. I held onto the memorable R3 helmet and decided it's rightful place would be in the quarters of R3 where I returned it a couple of years ago for ever. I'm pretty sure Jack would appreciate the offering.



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Rescue 3 FF Jack Mayne behind FF Mickey Maye giving mouth to mouth resuscitation
 
When I was a young buff I collected fire helmets, my collection grew to about thirty helmets. I had helmets from local volly fire depts, uncle Jacks retired FDNY lids, helmets from Japan, Berlin and London. I also had two very old helmets with the brass eagle. One was from St. Paul, MN with the facepiece leather lettering carved out of leather. The other I bought from a collector on Staten Island for $60 back in the day. It was a Boston Battalion Fire Chiefs helmet from the Marine Division. When I was disassembling my collection I wrote to the BFD Museum. They told me it was the helmet of a BC who died in line of duty many years ago. I sent them the BC helmet to add to the museum collection, rightfuly where it belongs.

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JohnnyG - you have a great eclectic collection of pictures to go along with the many interesting and entertaining memories - good stuff and yes, I enjoy reading, thanks for writing!
 
In case you didn't know about "fire helmet fashion" (I sure didn't), here is a chart to help you with your design!
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If this is a "Bronx Bend".....
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Then what is this??
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Chicago Fire Department - War Year's helmet of Commissioner Quinn:

   

   

   

   


    https://chicagoandcookcountycemeteries.com/2018/09/11/the-battered-helmet/
 
Inserts used to be attached to frontpiece with four machine screws. The frontpiece was attached to helmet with four brass cotter pins.
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The newer helmets with chin straps has two small bolts from the helmet, you have to attach the frontpiece and insert using acorn nuts.

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Of course you could attach whatever way your frontpiece and badge tag using machine bolts that are a little too long.

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And did you know you could add these nifty little gizmos to your Bourke shields instead of the boring acorn nut?

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Brass cotter pins to fasten helmet frontpiece
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