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The use of foliage as additional helmet camo.


Sabrejet
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I thought the official name for the holes were 'foliage slits' which is self-explanatory. They're not 'buttonholes'. Semantics... ;)

 

Pedant!! :lol:

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Ian,

You obviously misunderstand the true reason for the camouflage band on the helmets.

 

The marines were so jealous of us that they had to create their own bands.

BEAR

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Here's the pic of grunts from the 4th ID in VN as referred to by our man Patches. Note that the caption questions the value of such camouflage.

 

post-8022-1323936709.jpg

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Ian,

You obviously misunderstand the true reason for the camouflage band on the helmets.

 

The marines were so jealous of us that they had to create their own bands.

BEAR

 

For sure...."High 'n' Dry" was the name of the game! :thumbsup:

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Here's the pic of grunts from the 4th ID in VN as referred to by our man Patches. Note that the caption questions the value of such camouflage.

 

post-8022-1323936709.jpg

 

 

Thank,s for adding this pic Ian.

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I thought the official name for the holes were 'foliage slits' which is self-explanatory. They're not 'buttonholes'. Semantics... ;)

I'll have to concede there, Matt. :P

 

I used the term 'button holes' as I have read them described as such in chapters talking about specific covers with those type of slits, and in the wide range of devices being discussed here for securing different types of additional camo, I thought the term would bring to mind axactly what I was referring to.

 

Heck, the military term 'Camouflage Band' written directly onto the neoprene type band worn on Vietnam helmets sounds confusing when written in books.

(It is solid green and not camo!))

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Ian,

Here's an interesting photo of WWII helmet camouflage. Yes, he is ARMY.

BEAR

 

That one was taken at the Hawaiian jungle training center, There was other I seen presumably taken the same day.

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Ian,

Here's an interesting photo of WWII helmet camouflage. Yes, he is ARMY.

BEAR

 

Excellent! Thanks for adding that pic! :thumbsup:

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Also one thing to consider..

 

How many of the pictures we see are "in" actual combat vs. at camp and stuff.

My guess is I would rip that stuff out any time I was not actually out on patrol or in a firefight trying to keep from being shot at!

Just a thought.... it might account for a slightly skewed view...

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2nd pattern USMC covers, Mitchell, ERDL and Woodland covers all had "buttonholes" for the attachment of foliage as additional camo...right? Also, elasticated helmet bands were supplied for the same purpose. However....they appear to have been very rarely used as intended. I've been browsing through some of my reference books with combat pics from the PTO > VN and there was not a single helmet with additional camo, as prescribed. Even in WW2, most netted helmets seem to lack any kind of additional camo with the obvious exception of scrimmed-up Airborne troops' helmets. Obviously, I'm not saying it was never done...but it does appear to have been the exception rather than the rule. What say you? :think:

 

Here's one I came across. Besides the grass on the helmet,its an unssual photo in that that GI with the grass on his helmet is wearing some type of jacket, that appears to be a jump jacket but the lower pockets as we see are not gusseted, any ideas on what this is, a marine shirt ? or maybe a sailor ?. No location or unit is give or date is given for this photo. this most likely will be in Korea or Japan ? Mac is a 5 star.

post-34986-1324664450.jpg

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Here's one I came across. Besides the grass on the helmet,its an unssual photo in that that GI with the grass on his helmet is wearing some type of jacket, that appears to be a jump jacket but the lower pockets as we see are not gusseted, any ideas on what this is, a marine shirt ? or maybe a sailor ?. No location or unit is give or date is given for this photo. this most likely will be in Korea or Japan ? Mac is a 5 star.

 

I'm guessing some kind of bush jacket.

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From Life magazine:7th Infantry Division on Okinawa. Other photos from the series show wisps of straw/grass in the helmet bands of a few of the GIs.

post-2064-1324700735.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
vostoktrading
As you said Patches..the bad guys often garnished their lids.

 

post-8022-1323889085.jpg

Here's some bad guys garnishing their lids... and everything else! Iranian soldiers on parade.

It must have been difficult to stay in formation!

Jon.

post-7885-1325572612.jpg

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Here's some bad guys garnishing their lids... and everything else! Iranian soldiers on parade.

It must have been difficult to stay in formation!

Jon.

 

 

Ah yes Jon. The Republican Guards' famous "Bigfoot Brigade"! :lol:

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  • 2 years later...

Damn seen my YT post of March of the Wooden Soldiers has been disabled at the source, oh well, but see below.

 

 

30th Inf Div Bocage Country Normandy late June, don't really know what this wounded Infantrymans got on his pot as camo, looks almost like a large slab of sod cut to fit.

 

post-34986-0-17164700-1402855301.gif

 

 

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Here's some bad guys garnishing their lids... and everything else! Iranian soldiers on parade.

It must have been difficult to stay in formation!

Jon.

Looks like a Bigfoot/Yeti convention..

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We always put foliage on our helmets & rucksacks when I was with 3-39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division at Ft Lewis, WA in 1979.

 

I have photos, but can't get them posted.

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Squad leader

Damn seen my YT post of March of the Wooden Soldiers has been disabled at the source, oh well, but see below.

 

 

30th Inf Div Bocage Country Normandy late June, don't really know what this wounded Infantrymans got on his pot as camo, looks almost like a large slab of sod cut to fit.

 

attachicon.gifgrass.gif

 

 

 

Patches,

 

This guy is Pvt Paul R. Leone, of New-Britain, Connecticut. He fought with Co G, 116th Inf., 29th Div. when he was wounded in action on July 11, 1944, in the vicinity of Saint Andre de l'Epine (3,5 miles North East of St Lo). IMO he used burlap strips on his pot as camo.

 

Dan.

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Patches,

 

This guy is Pvt Paul R. Leone, of New-Britain, Connecticut. He fought with Co G, 116th Inf., 29th Div. when he was wounded in action on July 11, 1944, in the vicinity of Saint Andre de l'Epine (3,5 miles North East of St Lo). IMO he used burlap strips on his pot as camo.

 

Dan.

Thank's for the ID SL, seen this photo before in books, never IDed or captioned other then being in Normandy, online source of photo where I found it stated Old Hickory late June. If he's got scrim on his pot, he sure used a ton of it :lol:

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manayunkman

Having been a very productive picker since I was 11 in 1967 I have found hundreds of WWII helmets from veterans.

 

I found all manner of camouflage helmets before anyone cared.

 

The only helmets I ever found with actual foliage on them were German or Japanese captured souvenirs.

 

I never saw an American helmet with foliage.

 

Not saying it was never done just not often.

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