Hi Derk.
Take a closeup look at the 1945 Winter Helmet again in Roger’s article.
To me, the profile of the upper rear outline matches that of the set of pads you have posted pictures of above.
It strikes me, you may have two thirds of one of these helmets. First is the cloth liner that fits snug to the head, holds the headset, and most importantly, breathes to prevent sweat from running down ones head and freezing.
Next the padding clips onto the liner, and finally, a leather, outer cover would pull down over the first two items and clip in place with the remaining snaps at the lower from of the liner. The leather outer cover comes down low enough over the neck area to prevent a chill and would probably overlap the tanker suit with its collar up. It would also come down over the headset cables to prevent them snagging on anything inside the tank. The leather cover would also form a dead air gap over the liner and pads, helping to add insulation by creating a pocket of warm air.
David
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