Desco Navy MK V Diving Helmet Bonnet | Land and Sea Collection

1952 DESCO NAVY MK V DIVING
HELMET!

DIMENSIONS OF BONNET: 13.5” H x 14” W
WEIGHT 32 lbs

Presented is an authentic 12 bolt, 4 light DESCO
Navy MK V diving helmet which is being offered without a breast plate. Mark V Helmets produced by Desco,
Morse, Schrader and Miller-Dunn, the manufacturers were made to U. S. Navy specifications so the parts could be interchanged
when necessary. This means that this bonnet will most likely fit any MK V breast plate.

Except for a few minor dents on the bonnet’s crown which may
be the result of being in storage for so long, it is in like new condition. The dark grey look is the tin plating which was
applied electrostaically by DESCO even back then. It has darkened with age and now has the appearence of grey paint.

The bonnet was owned for the past twenty some years by
a West Coast owner who picked it up in San Diego, and most recently disposed of it.

HISTORY OF DESCO DIVING:

DESCO was first organized in 1937 in
Wisconsin under the name Diving Equipment and Salvage Co. Its founders included a professional deep water
diver, a Hollywood producer specializing in underwater photography and a medical doctor who was a research scientist at Marquette
University. This team successfully worked together in developing a deep water diving suit combined with a helium oxygen breathing
mixture which resulted in Desco divers setting twi successive deep water records of 420 and 550 feet.

World War II brought large Navy contracts for diving equipment to DESCO. They included not only conventional
hard-hat gear for the navy, but also the design, development and manufacture of an oxygen rebreather, known as the “B Lung.
By V-J Day, DESCO was producing more diving equipment than any other company in the world.

In 1946 the company as sold to another group of Milwaukee businessmen and changed its name to
Diving Equipment and Supply Co., Inc. After the Korean War, which again brought an increase in U.S. Navy contracts and orders,
the ownership changed hands several times and has since concentrated on the design and manufacture of commercial
and U.S. Navy diving equipment.

In 1968 it moved to its present address at 240 North Milwaukee Street in
Milwaukee. Today, DESCO continues providing quality diving equipment

CONDITION and MARKINGS: This bonnet
is in essentially the condition of its last dive. It is without a breast plate as it has been for the last twenty
plus years. It is being offered as a display item only, and should not be used for any other purpose unless certified by a
competant diving shop.

The serial number 4082 appears on the inside of the helmet’s
ring between the interrupted threads making it Ca 1952. All the air passages inside are intact.The right side chin
relief valve depresses, the spitcock turns freely and the front port opens. There is a Navy standard speaker
in the telephone cup.

The bonnet weighs 32 pounds.

BRIEF HISTORY of NAVY MK V DEEP SEA DIVING DRESS:

By 1905, the Bureau of Construction and Repair had designed the MK V Diving Helmet which seemed to
address many of the problems encountered in diving. This deep-sea outfit was designed for extensive, rugged diving work and
provided the diver maximum physical protection and some maneuverability.

The 1905 MK V Diving Helmet had an elbow inlet with a safety valve that allowed air to enter the
helmet, but not to escape back up the umbilical if the air supply were interrupted. Air was expelled from the helmet through
an exhaust valve on the right side, below the port. The exhaust valve was vented toward the rear of the helmet to prevent
escaping bubbles from interfering with the diver’s field of vision.

By 1916, several improvements had been made to the helmet, including a rudimentary communications
system via a telephone cable and a regulating valve operated by an interior push button. The regulating valve allowed some
control of the atmospheric pressure. A supplementary relief valve, known as the spitcock, was added to the left side of the
helmet. A safety catch was also incorporated to keep the helmet attached to the breast plate. The exhaust valve and the communications
system were improved by 1927, and the weight of the helmet was decreased to be more comfortable for the diver.

After 1927, the MK V changed very little. It remained basically the same helmet used in salvage operations
of the USS S-51 and USS S-4 in the mid-1920s. With its associated deep-sea dress and umbilical, the MK V was used for all
submarine rescue and salvage work undertaken in peacetime and practically all salvage work undertaken during World War II.
The MK V Diving Helmet was the standard U.S. Navy diving equipment until succeeded by the MK 12 Surface-Supplied Diving

In February 1980 the MK 12 was replaced by the MK 21 in December 1993.

OUR GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION: If not completely
satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within five days of receipt in its original condition
and packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. A prior email authorization by us for the return is required.
Unfortunately, no refund can be made for the cost of shipping, packaging and handling.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
WELCOME, but contact us first. We have customers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany,
Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean.

ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT are Bank wire transfer, cashier’s check,
money order, Western Union wire transfer, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. No credit cards
or PayPal accepted on big ticket items.

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