St Valery helmet
The helmet was donated to the Museum having been found at St Valery-en-Caux more than 50 years after it was lost at sea.
It is thought that this helmet was worn by a Black Watch soldier – a member of the Highland Division – at the battle of St Valery-en-Caux.
Highland Division
The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army Division that fought during the Second World War. The division was nicknamed the "Highway Decorators" in reference to the 'HD' insignia which adorned road signs along their axis of advance.
The Highland Division escaped being captured at Dunkirk along with the remainder of the British Expeditionary Force. However, the 152nd and 153rd Brigades were trapped at St Valery-en-Caux. They surrendered on 12 June 1940. Though a few escaped, most men spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war.
From the British point of view the defeat of the 51st Highland Division was the end of the Allied resistance during the battle of France.
Conservation
When this item came to the Museum, the helmet was severely corroded due to long immersion in salt water while lying in sand and gravel on the seabed. The iron corrosion process led to the formation of a thick layer of covering concretion, made up of a combination of calcareous material, iron corrosion compounds, and sand and gravel particles.
The helmet was conserved by Will Murray at the Scottish Conservation Studio.
Display?
The helmet is one of many items held by the Museum that creates an ethical problem: do we display it, or conserve it? To keep the helmet from deteriorating further it should be kept in a sealed container at a low humidity. The Museum decided to display the item, rather than keep it in store for preservation reasons. Although the case is not an ideal home for this delicate object, it has such a unique story - we think it is worth more on display.
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