What was the British SOP in 2009 as going helmet less even then wasn't all too smart, they're kitted up for business yet aren't wearing the brain buckets?

Depends on the threat profile. Health and safety is all encompassing nowadays, but our (the British) view had always been to minimise the agressive appearance whenever possible when dealing with CivPop - that meant soft hats/berets on and sunglasses off as an easy move down to side arms only and no web gear in a more benign environment.

What Royal said mate, we usually went soft hats through villages we knew posed little threat, however helmets were always carried. Trying to win over locals all allied up to the nines everytime we left a PB was imposing to CivPop therefore we tried to keep it as low key as poss, that said certain villages or areas we always ensured we wore helmets as im sure a couple of lads would have been brained otherwise.