Introduction

This company entered the diving industry in 1940 under the name SIAS (Societą Italiana Apparecchi di Salvataggio). The company focussed on producing military salvage apparatus. Later, the name was modified to SALVAS (Societą Anonima Lavorazioni Vari Appararecchi di Salvataggio). Salvas also produced diving helmets that, as you can see in the picture, were almost Siebe Gorman 12 bolt look alikes. The reason for this was simple. Until the war, Italian divers used Siebe Gorman equipment. But when deliveries from England stopped, the Italians had to create their own equipment.

Below we have an Italian built Salvas Helmet . This one is the traditional Italian design. The windows are round , the preferred shape. The spitcock is the teardrop design. The serial number is stamped on the 2 neck rings at the front of the helmet. The badge is a heavy cast brass badge and also bears the serial number. The exhaust valve is similar to the Siebe Gorman design as is the inlet non return valve. On close examination you can see from the picture of the front of the helmet the helmet is hand made and soldered rather than of a spun construction.


 

 
 
Front and rear view of the 4 window 12 bolt SALVAS helmet in immaculate condition. The rear view clearly displays the constructional vertical joint signifying this helmet was hand made and brazed together.
The locking device is sprung loaded and appears on other Italian helmets.
 
Side views of the helmet showing the characteristically small round side windows.

Photos courtesy of David Falcó i Rodriguez