Army pith helmet?

[cabbell2006]

Hello everyone,

I have a question i recently purchased a ww2 pith helmet dated 42 0r 43 cant quite make out the stamp on the inside. Any way my question is this it is a dark green color but has a enlisted army emblem on the front. I heard that the dark green color was navy and marine issue not army is this correct.

Thanks for the help

[cbuehler]

Yes, only the Navy used the OD green sun helmets. Both the Marine and Army contract helmets were khaki, however, some of these helmets probably ended up being worn by anyone without regard to color.

Before the war and during the war, the only insignia authorized for wear on the sun helmet was the DI in the case of the Army, and the EGA in the case of the Marines. During the war, the Army and Navy normally wore nothing on them.

Wearing the Army cap emblem on the sun helmets was not done until much later, (Vietnam era or just before) as were badges on the campaign hats, so I would presume that your badge was added by somebody along the way.

 

CB

[Greg Robinson]

I once saw an OD color WW2 pith helmet at a flea market that had Army contract markings so apparently they did wear them in that color shade. The Navy did also. The Marine pith helmets were a distinctive dark tan color and had Marine specific markings. All the khaki tan pith helmets I've seen had 1960's dated markings.

 

Greg

[craig_pickrall]

I'm not sure when the army changed to OD sun helmets. The post war made that I have seen are light tan. The following is from LIFE Magazine dated MAR 16, 1942 and is a light shade as well.

 

 

[Greg Robinson]

I'm not sure when the army changed to OD sun helmets. The post war made that I have seen are light tan. The following is from LIFE Magazine dated MAR 16, 1942 and is a light shade as well.

 

The OD shade I saw on the WW2 Army pith helmet was a light shade of green. That black and white photo could very well be of the helmet I saw.

 

Back in the 1990's the surplus dealers were selling mid '60's dated pith helmets that were all a khaki tan color. Not sure who wore them.....Marines had long quit issuing them to "boots"...at least not on the east coast. We wore chrome painted M1 helmet liners at Parris Island.

[cbuehler]

I'm not sure when the army changed to OD sun helmets. The post war made that I have seen are light tan. The following is from LIFE Magazine dated MAR 16, 1942 and is a light shade as well.

That is a very interesting photo of General King in the Philippines just prior to the war. He is wearing a philippine pattern shirt with the US embroidered directly on the collars and his cap badge, which is totally non regulation, on the sun helmet.

There is another known photo of General Wainwright and his staff wearing sun helmets in PI and they are all wearing the regulation DI of the Philippine division.

I am not aware of Army sun helmets in OD, but then again, I havent seen everything.

The Marine "tan" was referred to as khaki and I have seen Army contract helmets in this shade as well, although all USMC contract seem to be of this tan shade. I am quite sure there were variations in shade.

 

CB

[Bob Hudson]

I'm not sure when the army changed to OD sun helmets. The post war made that I have seen are light tan. The following is from LIFE Magazine dated MAR 16, 1942 and is a light shade as well.

 

I picked up this one over the weekend: made by Hawley, dated 1942 (8-12-42), and you can tell the Army cap device has been on it for a long, long time. The inside has a multi-layer foil lining that appears original as it is attached to the suspension/sweatband.