doyler Posted August 15, 2011 Share #26 Posted August 15, 2011 Very cool I have always wanted a french version or the ones you see the south veits wearing with net. Who or where were the nets sourced for the helmets nets in Viet Nam??Were they US surplus in most cases?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share #27 Posted August 15, 2011 Very cool I have always wanted a french version or the ones you see the south veits wearing with net. Who or where were the nets sourced for the helmets nets in Viet Nam??Were they US surplus in most cases?? The nets were US surplus, M-1944 with elastic band. In the early 80s, nearly unissued 1,000 M1C helmets were discovered in a French Navy facility in Brest. They were enroute to Indochina but the Navy forgot them in a hangar and never shipped the container. In the meantime, the Airborne Command in Indochina was struggling to get airborne helmets for the troops and ordered hundreds of locally rigger made M1 liners of poor quality to fulfill the need... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoovieDude Posted August 15, 2011 Share #28 Posted August 15, 2011 :thumbsup: Incredible helmets Andrei, definitely worthy of admiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1944 Posted August 15, 2011 Share #29 Posted August 15, 2011 Amazing set of French Para Helmets you have there great to have them setting on Display in your own Military Collection look amazing i really like the first one with the Double Netting looks great & Impressive :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limestone Posted August 15, 2011 Share #30 Posted August 15, 2011 In the early 80s, nearly unissued 1,000 M1C helmets were discovered in a French Navy facility in Brest. They were enroute to Indochina but the Navy forgot them in a hangar and never shipped the container. In early 90's, I found around 70 of them near Brest (Landivisiau). With a student's friend we bought them around 5 USD/helmet and sold most of them in Militaria shops in Paris around 75 USD/helmet, and we trade the others...We made some money then!.... Just take a look at some militaria shop's list on 90's Militaria Mag issues!! I must add I did not keep ONE of those in my collection... Anyway, your helmets are awesome!! Terrific collection! Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share #31 Posted August 15, 2011 In early 90's, I found around 70 of them near Brest (Landivisiau). With a student's friend we bought them around 5 USD/helmet and sold most of them in Militaria shops in Paris around 75 USD/helmet, and we trade the others...We made some money then!.... Just take a look at some militaria shop's list on 90's Militaria Mag issues!! I must add I did not keep ONE of those in my collection... Anyway, your helmets are awesome!! Terrific collection! Yannick Hi Yannick ! The bulk of the Brest M1C helmets were bought by a well known militaria dealer who is now deceased, Mr Dupuis. He sold them for FF400 at the time. I bought two of them in May 84 just before going to the Army. One with the leather chincup and another one with the cotton chinstrap. A friend was lucky and he got one with an Inland liner but back in those days, I did not know the difference. I keep them till the early 90s when I sold all my US WW2 collection. They were everywhere at shows for a couple of years, prices getting higher month after month till they disappeared. Had we know better but we were young and always broke ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsmancollector Posted August 15, 2011 Share #32 Posted August 15, 2011 Andrei, these are incredible helmets! Thanks for sharing them and providing some fasincating reading :thumbsup: Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted August 15, 2011 Share #33 Posted August 15, 2011 That first one sure is a looker! Great stuff :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squad leader Posted August 15, 2011 Share #34 Posted August 15, 2011 Hi Andrei, Great helmets my friend!!! :thumbsup: Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share #35 Posted August 15, 2011 Thanks all for your comments ! I will post the liner with Modification TAP Extrême-Orient next Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccmax Posted August 16, 2011 Share #36 Posted August 16, 2011 Thanks for posting Andrei, you have some really cool helmets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted August 16, 2011 Share #37 Posted August 16, 2011 A , Once again . ....thanks for the education and the stories ,as ever classy and fantastic. Its items like this that just scream REAL . owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted August 16, 2011 Share #38 Posted August 16, 2011 Hundreds of combat jumps...I have the log book of one of my uncle who served with the 7/II/1RCP. From 46 till 48, the battalion tour of duty dates, he made 27 combat jumps. The most famous of them would have to be the jumps into Dien Bien Phu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted August 16, 2011 Share #39 Posted August 16, 2011 Thanks all for your comments !I will post the liner with Modification TAP Extrême-Orient next Sunday. Monsieur, there is a 1992 french movie about Dien Bien Phu by the noted directer pierre schoendoerffer, you will remember him as the producer and directer of the 1966 documentary, La Section Anderson or if you prefer The Anderson Platoon. This movie is supposedly a docudrama on the style of Tora Tora Tora the most exelent 1970 movie about pearl harbour.Have you seen this movie by Schoendoerffer ?, and if so is it good ? Merci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limestone Posted August 16, 2011 Share #40 Posted August 16, 2011 Hi Yannick !The bulk of the Brest M1C helmets were bought by a well known militaria dealer who is now deceased, Mr Dupuis. He sold them for FF400 at the time. I bought two of them in May 84 just before going to the Army. One with the leather chincup and another one with the cotton chinstrap. A friend was lucky and he got one with an Inland liner but back in those days, I did not know the difference. I keep them till the early 90s when I sold all my US WW2 collection. They were everywhere at shows for a couple of years, prices getting higher month after month till they disappeared. Had we know better but we were young and always broke ! Hi Andrei, here is a part of photo showing some of them. I'd some fun making the pile!! Half of the helmets we bought are shown here, the second half being with my friend!! Two of those helmets are M1's and not coming from the lot. I added the net and Vietnam era cover on two of them as none were found with nets. There were sadly no liners. I also heard about this first lot of M1c helmets found in early 80's. A few of them were seen in private collections around. In early 90's, we were lucky to be the firsts for the second shot from the Brest depot. The Roscoff WWII museum also bought some after we told him there were still a few helmets we did not take. At that time I just had no more cash to buy them :crying: And I also thought I had plenty and enough of those helmets... Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squad leader Posted August 16, 2011 Share #41 Posted August 16, 2011 Monsieur, there is a 1992 french movie about Dien Bien Phu by the noted directer pierre schoendoerffer, you will remember him as the producer and directer of the 1966 documentary, La Section Anderson or if you prefer The Anderson Platoon. This movie is supposedly a docudrama on the style of Tora Tora Tora the most exelent 1970 movie about pearl harbour.Have you seen this movie by Schoendoerffer ?, and if so is it good ? Merci Pierre Schoendoerffer was also a war reporter. He jumped into Dien Bien Phu and after the battle he was captured and sent to a Viet Minh camp. IMHO "Dien Bien Phu" is not his better movie. His 3 best films are (by order of preference) : 1) The 317th platoon (orig. "La 317e section") 2) A captain's honor (orig. "L'honneur d'un capitaine") 3) The Drummer Crab (orig. "Le Crabe-tambour) There is a detailed article (in English) about Pierre Schoendoerffer on Wiki. Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted August 16, 2011 Share #42 Posted August 16, 2011 Hi, I collect French item has many years and still looking a para helmet for mine Indochina War display. Congratulations! Best regards, Ricardo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #43 Posted August 16, 2011 Some pictures of the M1 liner with the in-country added V yokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #44 Posted August 16, 2011 The TAP Extrême-Orient modified liner worn by this para looks to have been well made. The yokes drop straight like the M1C liner ones. They must have been riveted under the A washers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #45 Posted August 16, 2011 These two Foreign Legion para officers have their helmets with the modified liner. Note the very long in-country made chinstrap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #46 Posted August 16, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #47 Posted August 16, 2011 Foreign Legion paras on patrol near DBP. The first para has the modified liner helmet, the second one has an infantry USM1 helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #48 Posted August 16, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #49 Posted August 16, 2011 Foreign Legion paras at field training. USMC jackets worn with french TTA47 trousers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrei Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share #50 Posted August 16, 2011 In this picture, the in-country made chinstrap with extra long loose ends is clearly visible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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