Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Share #1 Posted August 26, 2014 I have a very lightly used M1917A1. To amuse myself I thought I'd put a British net on it...after all, such nets with their drawstrings were intended for helmets of this design. It fit perfectly and looked very....well...British really! I doubt if any M1917A1s were so netted, but it was a fun thing to do anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted August 26, 2014 Cont'd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted August 26, 2014 Cont'd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted August 26, 2014 Cont'd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted August 26, 2014 Cont'd.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted August 26, 2014 Cont'd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted August 26, 2014 Share #7 Posted August 26, 2014 Funny how drastically it changes the appearance. That is one sweet lid to boot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankerman Posted August 26, 2014 Share #8 Posted August 26, 2014 Ian; That's a good looking rig!! Also of interest is the book which it is resting upon..seems interesting. AL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted August 26, 2014 Ian; That's a good looking rig!! Also of interest is the book which it is resting upon..seems interesting. AL Hello Al. That book was first published in Britain around 20 years ago, but it's held up very well. It's a compilation of detailed, captioned sequential full-colour scenarios featuring British collectors / re-enactors using/wearing original GI uniforms and equipment...cavalry, tankers, infantry, paratroopers etc. Probably still available via Amazon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted August 26, 2014 Here you go. http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-II-GI-Photographs/dp/1847970338/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409061344&sr=1-1&keywords=ww2+gi+in+colour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOLO Posted August 26, 2014 Share #11 Posted August 26, 2014 yes the US M1917A1 was often seen in use during WWII with nets these are women in North Africa 1943 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted August 26, 2014 Well now that is interesting. Still in use after being declared obsolete following the introduction of the M1? Looks like a hand-made "spiders' web" net. Thanks for that tid-bit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOLO Posted August 26, 2014 Share #13 Posted August 26, 2014 here is one of mine with a fishing net used to make a helmet net and the lace is from a WWII soldier's canvas gaiter to tie the net the M1917A1 was also supplied to some allied countries during the war like the Philippines, the Chinese KMT, the French Morocan Colonial troops, the Free French forces and others helmet nets would have been very useful in the jungles of the Philippines or the jungles of Burma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man860 Posted August 26, 2014 Share #14 Posted August 26, 2014 Has a nice look, and no doubt there were netted and camouflaged 17A1's early in the PTO. Hand made and/or large knot Indian or Australian mfg. nets early on, then when supply caught up, the various 3/4" or 1/2" varieties. Although by the time the 3/4" nets arrived, I think most were using the M1's. I have a theory that during the early part of the war most of the nets were being sourced from Australia and India for use by allied troops in the PTO. More foliage and need for concelement in this theater rather than the MTO or Africa, which could be why those troops in the MTO are mostly using hand made nets with some use of the 1-inch and 3/4 inch netting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man860 Posted August 26, 2014 Share #15 Posted August 26, 2014 Another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted August 26, 2014 Share #16 Posted August 26, 2014 There are a couple photos taken in the Philippines in 1942 showing M1917A1's with nets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakethetrees Posted September 25, 2015 Share #17 Posted September 25, 2015 An old friend of mine who passed away ten years ago aged 92 was in the Coast Guard, mostly in the Pacific and in the Attu and Kiska areas of operation. He stated adamantly that his only helmet throughout the war was the "tin hat". Since he was not a front line or combat operational mos he and men in similar circumstances were not top priority for the latest and greatest equipment. He said he still had the thing laying around somewhere and promised to show it to me, but Hurricane Katrina came through and put his house under ten feet of water, and I ever again saw him. R.I.P., Maurice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FortJohn Posted September 25, 2015 Share #18 Posted September 25, 2015 Not to be off topic.But I really like the look of that medics liner in BOLO's first picture.Right above the spiderweb netting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnDuc49 Posted September 26, 2015 Share #19 Posted September 26, 2015 Just wondering, but does anyone display helmets with their own handmade spider nets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted September 26, 2015 Share #20 Posted September 26, 2015 I seen a photo, maybe two, of the British net being worn on Tin Hats by a few troops of the 7th Division Ft Ord Cailforina in 1941 during amphibious maneuvers off the California coast, Stilwell was in command then. This fact is intriguing because the 7th Division went into the Aleutian Island operation wearing these very nets, now on M1s, they dropped out of site afterwards in the division. The book was one of those new books that came out in the mid 1990s that show cased never before published color photographs from WWII, don't have it no more as I would of scanned the photo-photos to post in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Driver Posted September 26, 2015 Share #21 Posted September 26, 2015 The secret is to go with the movie "Bataan" helmets. They all seemed to have nets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted September 26, 2015 Share #22 Posted September 26, 2015 The secret is to go with the movie "Bataan" helmets. They all seemed to have nets You read my mind.....first thing I thought of was Lloyd Nolan in the movie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddy.502 Posted September 26, 2015 Share #23 Posted September 26, 2015 Great helmet!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted September 26, 2015 Share #24 Posted September 26, 2015 I have a very lightly used M1917A1. To amuse myself I thought I'd put a British net on it...after all, such nets with their drawstrings were intended for helmets of this design. It fit perfectly and looked very....well...British really! I doubt if any M1917A1s were so netted, but it was a fun thing to do anyway. Hi Ian, that's a cracking example of a M1917A1, lovely condition and great leatherwork, definitely nicer than what I have . . . . . . Ken. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted September 26, 2015 Author Share #25 Posted September 26, 2015 Hi Ian, that's a cracking example of a M1917A1, lovely condition and great leatherwork, definitely nicer than what I have . . . . . . Ken. . Ken...I bought it at Stoneleigh many years ago from a Midlands-based dealer who traded as Norman D something or other. Ring any bells.....!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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