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Posted 9 months ago
petey
(296 items)
British WW11 Messenger steel helmet, used by messengers, when communications, phones etc had been bombed out. Often boys too young to fight.
THEY were the hidden heroes of the Second World War, hardened by battle and wise beyond their years.
But these thousands of brave teenage boys never saw a trench or picked up a rifle in anger.
They were the unsung legions who stepped forward when Britain's working men went off to the front line, performing a hugely important task for king and country.
They were the telegraph messenger boys.
And if you were unfortunate enough to lose a loved one during the war, as so many tragically did, the chances are you remember seeing them wandering up your garden path.
Many messenger boys were as young as 14 when they had to carry the heavy burden that a family member had died.
The teenagers were solely responsible for delivering the tragic telegrams - the fastest means of communication during wartime.
The harrowing messages came in the form of simple, plain envelopes with crosses on – the announcement of death.
The sight of a telegram boy sent shivers into your heart
Other telegrams brought the chilling news that a young man had been commissioned for the front line, or that a relative had sustained serious injuries.
Military HelmetsThe need to protect the head in battle has inspired a range of solutions ov…
Neat description and story. thanks for educating me with that little tid-bit of info.
How many bloody helmets do U have in your collection? I never concentrated that much on 1 item. maybe I should have.
Wonderful account of the brave and generous youths who served as Messengers. Sadly, I had never heard of them. When I clicked on this item, my first reaction was that this was a very stylish helmet - then I read your account. "Stylish" would here be offensive, even in jest. This helmet would have struck fear into the hearts of those whom they visited. Weighty responsibilities for youth. Was this service voluntary, or were these youths pressed into service? Did they observe regular shifts? Whether they were volunteers or not, their service was hard, and they sacrificed a great deal in its execution. I pause in respectful wonder at their service.
Thanks for looking, kerry10456, blunderbuss2, mrmajestic1, miKKoChristmas11, BELLIN68, PhilDavidAlexanderMorris, mikielikesigns2, scandinavian_pieces.