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Original ranger helmet


Normandy1944
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phantomfixer

and from the 1:50 mark

the first pic, the officer has on a nice crisp shirt, nice creases etc...if that is indicative of anything...

post-155518-0-67046300-1503513237.jpg

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Thanks for posting that one. The one thing we have to establish is the timing of the video. I know it says August 1944… but what do we have that guarantees this was not taken in 1945?

 

Any ideas ?

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The footage sure looks like it was taken in the Normandy area in warm weather. I'm not familiar with the 5th Ranger's movements in 1945 but wouldn't U.S. forces have been in Germany or Czechoslovakia? The footage looks like it was taken in the French bocage area, the stone building looks like the Normandy style, the civilians look more French than German. The open HBT shirts look more like August '44 style than April/May '45 style.

 

Tom

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Yep the first two are in Weymouth prior to embarkation - 2nd Btn. The latter is the 5th as occupation troops and they are liners marked with the stencil 5th.

 

The question is - is that video taken in 1945 or 1944. I doubt that the person writing down where and when the video was taken would get it wrong… in which case it is August 1944 in France.

 

The next question then logically is - are the helmets we can see being worn by replacements - who have had their helmets done for them by the QM… or were they D-day Rangers and they have their original helmets.?

 

I don't know any of the guys shown in the photos and I am familiar with many men from the 5th… so they possibly could be replacements. They are also not wearing covers or camouflage on their helmets which many of the 5th did after Maisy (9th June). It is possible that replacements did not have covers on theirs if they were just issued ?

 

Its only a theory with no basis in fact.

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Here are the pictures. I think I have a picture of the officers face if that will help you ID him.

post-151093-0-75690200-1503530573_thumb.jpg

 

Possible diamond here too

post-151093-0-96397600-1503530578_thumb.jpg

 

Edit: I think it is the same officer in both pictures.

 

Also note the parachute camo cover.

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A, C and F Companies started wearing the US parachute covers after Maisy - so that might narrow it down.

 

Is that from the original video or a new one? If it is from the same, the 5 on the back of that officers helmet is the standard sans-serif 5… so we have an example of them both being worn at the same time. Which again might suggest that the stencil 5 was used for replacements.?

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I just want to add this note, I found the two videos at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUjF4ukUxcUTVS478CBdqSQ.

 

And I have to thank the guys at 5thrangerbn.com especially Tom Frost for finding the footage.

 

Without this kind of additional first hand period (film) reference our collecting would be a lot harder. (although it might be a lot simpler as well) !!

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dando1944,

 

The caption for the August, 1944 film was taken from the ADC card I pulled from the National Archives in Maryland. There are several clips prior to the Ranger clip showing various other units in France, 1944. If you do not trust the given Signal Corps caption, there is a photo of Ranger Peicarz (I'm on my phone currently and I'll fixed the spelling at a later time) in his jeep with 2 other Rangers dated 18 August, 1944. The jeep and those same 3 Rangers are seen at the beginning of the film we copied from the archives.

 

There is also the full film of the Rangers marching in Normandy passing German POWs on YouTube on the NormandieArchive account. I believe there are some parachute covers seen in the film.

-Kyle

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Thanks for that clarification.

 

It was not that I didnt trust it - I just wondered if it could be confirmed in any other way to narrow it down even further.

 

I am sure it is 100% right. But it would be the first thing I checked if I was relying on the information for a book etc.

 

In A Co. 5th Btn - Lt Charles Parkers excellent book (Reflections of Courage on D-day) he describes men of the 5th Btn. A, C, and F companies taking pieces of US parachute off dead paratroopers kit and using it to camouflage their helmets after the Maisy battle - 9th June … so that confirms that it was the first time that this was done by them.

 

But not everyone did it. If you look at the helmets being worn by men of the 5th for the awards ceremony (June 19th or 20th) some have covers - others do not. So it was not widespread and probably depended on the individual rather than any orders.

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The film that Salvage Sailor got the still from shows maybe 2-3 Rangers with camouflage helmets. I'm certain it's between June 9th- June 20th but I wouldn't pin down a date until the official caption is found.

 

dando1944, I agree that the wearing of parachute covers definitely was an individual choice to partake in, I would guess most likely encouraged for camouflage. The film of the award ceremony filmed June 1944 for actions during Operation Overlord shows only a couple wearing the covers, if that. However, that may have been done for uniformity as a General Officer was present. The singular picture of the 5th Rangers after have receiving their awards shows the most amount of helmet covers. The award ceremony film has great close-ups of the various helmet markings, as well as other "one-offs" like a custom cut-down Thompson and captured equipment worn during the ceremony.

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rangers.jpg

 

This is a 2nd rangers helmet, found at St Pierre du MONT in the early 90's. He is id to a KIA officer from Co F ( killed in the afternoon of D'day )

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Burning Hazard

This is a 2nd rangers helmet, found at St Pierre du MONT in the early 90's. He is id to a KIA officer from Co F ( killed in the afternoon of D'day )

 

That's the same helmet pictured on page 177 of "Helmets of the ETO", thank you for posting.

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Salvage Sailor

The film that Salvage Sailor got the still from shows maybe 2-3 Rangers with camouflage helmets. I'm certain it's between June 9th- June 20th but I wouldn't pin down a date until the official caption is found.

 

dando1944, I agree that the wearing of parachute covers definitely was an individual choice to partake in, I would guess most likely encouraged for camouflage. The film of the award ceremony filmed June 1944 for actions during Operation Overlord shows only a couple wearing the covers, if that. However, that may have been done for uniformity as a General Officer was present. The singular picture of the 5th Rangers after have receiving their awards shows the most amount of helmet covers. The award ceremony film has great close-ups of the various helmet markings, as well as other "one-offs" like a custom cut-down Thompson and captured equipment worn during the ceremony.

 

4th AAFCCU (Army Air Force Combat Camera Unit)

Film No. 1531-3 INVASION JUNE 1944.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/16064-5th-rangers-marching-in-normandy/

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Parkers book states :

 

"The Germans had built a strongpoint of batteries and a defensive complex of pillboxes here at Grandcamp Maisy.

 

The Allies had also dropped paratrooper dummies. We ran across these as we walked. Parachutes were lying in the water, sometimes still attached to the man now dead. We also saw bodies hanging still harnessed in the trees - the paratrooper's chutes having caught here. There were piles of shells on the ground, 8 or 9 inches high, where Germans had stopped to fire at the paratroopers repeatedly.

This was not something we wanted to see. But nevertheless we took advantage of the situation and cut up the parachutes made of camouflage material, covering our helmets with the remnants. We then placed a net over the entire helmet. This broke the helm's outline… We would stick brush and such into the netting to again camouflage it…."

 

Not a conclusive order for everyone - but something that Parker and some may have taken advantage of.

 

The helmet looks interesting. It does appear to have been varnished ? Perhaps to stop it rusting further.

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Hi

Yes i vanished it to stop the damage of the rust on the insigna

It was in 1999 and after asking to several people i did not find better solution

the fall of the rust has stopped immediatly and the insignia is now safe for 18 years

 

PIPO

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Hi

Yes i vanished it to stop the damage of the rust on the insigna

It was in 1999 and after asking to several people i did not find better solution

the fall of the rust has stopped immediatly and the insignia is now safe for 18 years

 

PIPO

Wow! That's in your collection?

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Johan Willaert

rangers.jpg

 

This is a 2nd rangers helmet, found at St Pierre du MONT in the early 90's. He is id to a KIA officer from Co F ( killed in the afternoon of D'day )

Great helmet and the '2' is exactly like the one on the helmet in my collection and like the one that surfaced in Brittany last year.

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