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NET, HELMET, with BAND (pictures of it being worn)


ken88
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So, I recently came across one of these nets and at first had some trouble finding period footage of it being worn.

 

This net seems to be the only US regulation net ever issued during WWII. I therefore thought it deserves a special place in the helmet section. The NET, HELMET, with BAND (dubbed the M1944 net (or should we say M-1943?)) seems to have made its entrance into combat during the Battle of the Bulge. To my knowledge these nets were not yet issued for earlier operations.

 

The band, as with many things, seems to have been copied from rubber helmet bands the Germans experimented with. Stitching it to a handsome net is nothing short of genius.

 

Below I will be posting period pictures of this net being worn, for future reference and for anyone interested. If you come across any other pictures of this net being worn, please feel free to share (please, late WW2 pictures only). You may, of course, also share pictures of your own ww2 helmets that have this net. Thanks.

 

 

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12615772-1067864769947685-9136460430570024435973f9863e7dc33672710c3bfe04df80974.

 

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Here's a bunch interestingly enough in the Pacific, these are of an unknown Infantry unit of the 25th Inf Div on Luzon 1945. most photos I will post come from the 25th's 25th Year in Combat book ( a 25th Inf Div Divisional yearbook from the fall of 1966 ).

 

This one was was an online find.

 

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The following were scanned by me from that yearbook of 1966. U.S. made net with band being worn on Luzon. As typical, some guys wear the net with the band while some do not.

 

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This final one of the U.S. made net w/band on Luzon, 25th Div, was one I found in the 1960 Army C&GS College yearbook I got, and scanned it. In summary. Don't know how widespread the wear of the U.S. made net w/band or without band was within the Infantry of 25th Inf Div, like did all the Infantry Regiments that get them? was it just one of the regiments? was it just a battalion or two within the regiments etc etc, did any other units in the division get them?, like the engineers, the Recon Troop etc. admittedly it would of been rare for these to be seen in early 1945 or even the summer of 45 out there, as so far these have been the only photos we ever seen both in books and on the web of them being worn.

 

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Yes the band by itself was pretty prevalent on Okinawa, as seen here on General Simon Buckner 10th Army commander (photo taken a few minutes before he was killed), was always curious as why the bands and not the nets where seen by in all those photos on Okinawa.

 

bucknerpers16.jpg

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Manila-11.jpg?resize=850%2C647

 

Bands by themselves were also seen to some degree in the Philippines, here two soldiers from the 37th Infantry Division during the Battle of Manila. Again why not the nets right, we did see them in the 25th Inf Div being worn, why not the other divisions??

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