USMC Full Dress Spiked Helmet Hardware

[Brig]

A few years ago I bought a lot of misc spiked helmet parts with the intent to buy a repro shell and use original parts as a display measure, but before I needed to I managed to acquire an actual, complete spiked helmet. So these have been sitting in the display case, but something has always struck me as odd

 

The base plate obviously has had the original hook replaced with a thinner one, presumably to go with the thin hooks of the chinstrap chain. These thin hooks have always irked me a bit, and then, on a loop, I saw stamped 'Made in England'. So, my question is, is anyone aware of a firm in England...presumably Gaunt...producing hardware for these helmets? I know originally these parts came with a pair of side buttons, a single enlisted epaulette, and an original helmet EGA, so presumably either the Marine picked up his parts in England, or perhaps appropriated a similar British strap for his own use? Any ideas or input would be appreciated, the strap is by far thinner than the one on my complete helmet

[Brig]

the chain links

[Redlegwolf]

Completely reasonable either way -- Indian Wars Army helmets often have pieces fabricated from England, and several makers in the states actually imported their stock from England. I can only imagine it was similar for USMC helmets.

 

-Wolf