Hellesen Lamps
 

Sitting in my parts shed today, out pops a little trinket from the UK. The Hellesen Lamp. Do people out there still come across this piece of kit these days? Cheers.

About two years ago, I stumbled across one on ebay from the UK.
It had been listed by the maker - CEAG, no use of the word 'Hellensen" or Hellenson"

NOS with a tag, wartime dated, only bidder and got it for 9 pounds plus shipping.

A fellow restorer made up a fake battery of cardboard, markings and then waxed the box. It had a "trap door" to allow it to be opened to access a modern D-cell plastic carrier and some wire.

Fits nicely in it's rack in the turret of the Humber Mk4. Works when I toggle the switch!

So simple in construction, would think What Price Glory could get them made in India for not much money. less than 50 US$ I would think, but he would need some idea of market.

I suppose we could send one to India ( a rusty relic! ) and just have a run of say 20 made.

Ideas?

Bought one on ebay just last week. It's Hellesen btw, no middle n.

They do turn up, listed as a Hellesen lamp, they sell for a tidy sum. Listed as 'old torch', they go for considerably less!

Not this "people". Not so far anyhow. Now you have to tell me about it. So far, I'm in the dark. :confused

Old Torch
 

I suppose you now have a spare to go with the one I got you at Beltring .You gonna have to find another Tank to put it in! Cheers

Here is one with the original Battery!

Hellesen manufacturers
 

Occasionally they turn up.
Found one in Holland, a green CEAG, new in the box and WD marked.
They were also made by Davenset and Sunlite and I have seen an advert from Eveready showing the same lamp.
The black ones seem not to be WD marked.
Sometimes these lamps are listed as "railroad lamp".
There seem to be more armored vehicles than lamps which might explain why these lamps can be expensive.
Wartime records mention battery shortages for these lamps.

Marco

i bought mine last year at stoneleigh militaria and paid £150 for it. a stupid amount of money but i was glad to have it.

My latest was £9.99 on ebay.....

I found 2 during the years , one painted OD , in mint condition , and this one still with the battery in came from Belgium .

Looking for one of these also.

If anyone has one for sale at a sensible price, please let me know.

Am not desperate enough to be prepared to pay £150 for one.

Cheers

Tim

give it time tim and £150 will seem cheap :)

Tim.

I am sure you will find one for a good price. Just keep your eyes out in as many places as possible. Quite a few things, military and antique, seem to sell in cycles. Military pocket watches about six years ago were readily available in good working order for near or under $125 Cdn and then suddenly spiked upwards of $300 Cdn for some reason. They can now be had for close to the earlier price once again.

As they say, patience is a virtue!


David

Dimensions of Lamp
 

Hi,
Would someone be able to provide the outside dimensions of the metal cage for the battery? I am trying to fabricate the enclosure the lamp fits into in an armoured vehicle and would greatly appreciate the dimensions.
Thank you!
Patrick

Patrick,

See the thread below.
There is a drawing from the lamp.

Marco.

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...light=Hellesen

Hellesen lamp mounting
 

Patrick,
I have the drawing from the mounting also.
I'll have a look when I am at home again.

Marco

Helleson lamp drawings
 

Hi Marco,
Thanks very much for the link, the drawing is perfect. Any further drawings would be most welcome!

Bracket for Hellesen lamp
 

Patrick,

Attached is a PDF drawing from the Hellesen lamp bracket as installed in my Staghound.
I took the dimensions from an original example in another Staghound turret.
For such a simple task it is a rather complicated thing...

I hope the resolution of the attached drawing is sufficient so the dimensions can be read.
When not, pm me your email address and I'll sent it directly to you.

In Sherman tanks, another (more simple?) type of support for the Hellesen lamp is used.
I don't have a drawing from that one but I am sure someone can help you with that.

Marco

Sunlite advert
 

"Civilian" advert showing a handlamp very similar to the military style lamp.
The interesting thing is that the advert comes from a "Country Life" magazine dated October 1925.
The "penetrating beam of light" is rather exaggerated..

Marco

Nailed this one... Nos... 10gbp from a govt surplus dealer today... Alas the only one he had. Black frame... No wd mark... But has mod stores label and part number.

An advert from a Merriman & Howard Ltd (Manchester, U.K.)
catalogue from 1934.
The lamp seems to be marked "Hellesen" also.

Sought but never found
 

During the years I had my Centurion I hunted high and liw for an ellusive hellesen lamp for the turret.

Never found one and eventually sold of the Cent. Years later I found a squashed one on the site of an old tank rebuild workshop in Western Australia. I straitened it up a bit andvpassed it onto a fellow collector who had two centurions...

Cheers

Phill

Just to say I am about to list my new Davenset on E Bay if anyone looking for one. thanks Andrew

Well, up pops another one of these just the other day! I thought it was a lamp that I would never see in New Zealand, but just goes to show , the one on the right of the picture, a nice example , Cheers Andrew.