US Navy MK5 Helmet & suit- Genuine 1945 - complete & ready to dive for Sale

US Navy MK5 Helmet & suit- Genuine 1945 - complete & ready to dive For Sale

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

US Navy MK5 Helmet & suit- Genuine 1945 - complete & ready to dive:
$8100.00

NOTE RE SHIPPING: requires me to state a flat fee for shipping. They suggest that I say $25 so that's what appears in the listing. However, the cost of shipping this item is the buyer's responsibility and will bethe actual cost by the carrier of your choice from Ontario L4B 4K3 . Packing, Insurance or any other extras is is a genuine USN Mark 5 helmet with complete diving suit & accessories in working condition.
This helmet was recently serviced by a helmet expert - new windows and guards as needed, new gaskets, etc.It has been used since then for a couple of pool demonstrations.It is ready to go!
Check the pictures for details as I describe each one.Picture 1 shows the suit and helmet recently fitted to diver. You can see the helmet with the front window open, the weight belt with the locking clip, the air control valve, the whip (hose from air control valve to the helmet). The knife in the diver's hand is NOT included.Picture 2 shows the helmet with it's original wooden storage base, the barb fitting for hoses without threaded ends, the T handle for tightening the breastplate nuts and the 1/4 NPT adapter that lets you attach the hose to a scuba tank. Notice the spit cock and that the correct breastplate nuts are all there - 4 flanged nuts for the joints and 8 non-flanged. They are all in perfect condition.Picture 3 is a closeup of the badge showing US Navy Diving Helmet Mark V Mod 1 made by Diving Equipment and Salvage Inc, Milwaukee, Wis., just one of a dozen companies hired to produce the Mark V helmet for the Navy. You can see as well the date of manufacture (October 5, 1945), the serial number (3040) and the USN approval stamp (looks like an anchor with US above it).Picture 4 shows the right rear of the helmet. You can see the adjustable chin valve and banana-tube exhaust, the locking tab with it's chain and pin and the clean threads of the inlet.Picture 5 of the left rear shows the air hose attached. The hose is original with the brass locking bands, in good shape. Also note the telephone gooseneck as well as the locking tab, chain and pin.Picture 6 shows the suit, nearly perfect, plus the air control valve and whip, the helmet cushion (shoulder pad) and part a leg of the new chafs (coveralls) with leather laces. The suit is flexible and watertight; the neck is very good with just one of the 12 holes torn (you can dive with them ALL torn if you tighten up the nuts. 1 torn hole hardly worth mentioning to a commercial diver). The wrists are also good although the left wrist has a 1" tear in it - easy to repair with a rubber tire repair kit. New wrists seals are easy to get and to install.Picture 7 shows the new chafs (coveralls) and the 50' hose in original and good condition. It still has the manufacturers red inspection label on it. You can also see the original brass boots.Picture 8 is a close-up of the 50' air hose. You can see some cracking at the ends of the outer casing only. The label is visible. The hose is still very pliable and works well.Picture 9 is the weight belt/harness with 25 pounds of weights (it will take a lot more). This is the popular Browne style with a quick release buckle. The leather is good, the front buckle and shoulder buckles are fine. The crotch strap is missing.Picture 10 is a second suit that is no longer useful. It was a Navy suit (has lace-up legs) rather than a commercial suit like the good one. The wrist seals are still OK. The neck is pretty beat.Picture 11 is the boots with solid brass toes, lead soles and the more expensive leather uppers rather than later fabric ones. The buckles are OK but the leather uppers are pretty stiff and the leather straps are torn. They can easily be replaced and it's not a big job to have new leather uppers made.Picture 12 is myself getting suited up in this same suit in 1978 at the Seneca College Commercial dive school in Toronto.
Not only is this a complete, working 1945 Mark V helmet and suit, I have the entire history of the suit. I only wish it could speak - the stories it could tell!!The suit was made for the Navy in November 1945 for use in the many areas of clean-up after the finish of WW2 (August, 1945) just two months earlier.Needless to say, it was a very busy time for US Navy divers and for this suit. It could been in use at Pearl Harbor, Guam, Guadalcanal, the Solomons or off the shores of France.After nearly 20 years of service in the US Navy, this suit was sold to the Canadian Navy for salvage work first and then for training purposes.In the early 1970's the Canadian Navy sold off their remaining Mark V suits and this one was purchased by Seneca College in Toronto for use in it's new Underwater Skills program.Hundreds of commercial diver students used this suit, myself included in 1978.In 1984, Seneca College sold off their Mark V suits. I was contacted by a good friend and commercial diver to see if I wanted one.Imagine the thrill of finding my own suit still for sale. All the suits were numbered and the helmets matched to the suits so it was easy to know that it was the one I used.I have owned it since then and used it on maybe 6 occasions for pool demonstrations. Otherwise it sat on display in one of my dive stores.
Here's what you get:- Mark V, Mod 1 four window Helmet #3040 made in November 1945, complete with breastplate, flanges, wing nuts, T handle, cushion and wooden base.- Commercial diving dress is good working condition; one torn neck hole and a small tear in the left wrist.- air control valve and whip; barb adapter; scuba adapter; 50' air hose- boots and weight belt as described- new diver chafs (coveralls) with leather laces- second USN diving dress in rough condition entire package, helmet with stand, suit, weight belt, boots, hose, coveralls and 2nd suit weighs almost 200 pounds.I will need to build a plywood box to hold everything. It will be strong but light.Depending on the carrier, I may need to use 2 boxes - 1 wooden box for the helmet and 1 cardboard box for the soft goods.I will charge just $100 for the packing. Or, you can pick it up. Or, I will deliver to a border city (Buffalo, Detroit, etc) for the cost of gas in my pickup.
NOTE RE SHIPPING: requires me to state a flat fee for shipping. They suggest that I say $25 so that's what appears in the listing. However, the cost of the shipping is the buyer's responsibility and will be the actual cost by the carrier of your choice from Ontario L4B 4K3 . Insurance or any other extras is additional.

On Mar-07-15 at 06:54:28 PST, seller added the following information:

Condition of this Helmet & Suit
I have been asked several questions about the condition of this helmet and suit. Some buyers are interested in actually using it either for themselves or for selling Hard Hat experiences.
The helmet and suit is actually better than the pictures or my description indicate.
This suit is ready to dive. As I say sometimes to describe the readiness of dive gear, "Just add water!"I'm not saying that just because it is my own personal suit. I've simply taken good care of it including regular maintenance.
The left wrist seal needs a 20 minute repair. Some inner tube rubber and rubber cement will do it. It's a tear - nothing is missing.Then, connect the hose to a scuba tank with the supplied adapter (it adapts the helmet air hose fitting to 1/4NPT which will connect to any low pressure hose).I have used standard scuba tanks but large tanks, 450 cubic feet cascade tanks, as used in compressor systems, will obviously give more time.Let me make clear that, as explained in the listing description, that the boot leather needs to be replaced.Otherwise, everything works.
Most Hard Hat Experience operations use just the helmet anyway - helmet, shoulder cushion, air hose and a standard scuba weight belt is all you need to try Hard Hat diving.
I hope this helps you appreciate this rare opportunity to own a near perfect, genuine, working USN MarkV & suit & accessories. RE SHIPPING: requires me to state a flat fee for shipping. They suggest that I say $25 so that's what appears in the listing. However, the cost of shipping this item is the buyer's responsibility and will bethe actual cost by the carrier of your choice from Ontario L4B 4K3 . Packing, Insurance or any other extras is additional.

Recent Threads

US Navy MK5 Helmet & suit- Genuine 1945 - complete & ready to dive For Sale

US Navy MK5 Helmet & suit- Genuine 1945 - complete & ready to dive: $8100.00

US Navy MK5 Helmet & suit- Genuine 1945 - complete & ready to dive:
$8100.00