gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Share #1 Posted August 28, 2014 I've started noticing these helmets recently and thought I would pool what I've seen so far for comment. These M1 helmet shells have three horizontal stripes on the front. I have found that that is the correct rank for a South Korean Corporal as well as for a French Captain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted August 28, 2014 In this thread, responses indicate that this is the rank of a South Korean Corporal. The helmet has 1970s clipped chinstraps. The liner doesn't seem to belong to it. In this current ebay listing, it is described as a US Navy Commander's marking, which I don't think is correct. Sewn, swivel bail chinstraps. The liner is post-Korea. This is also likely a South Korean helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted August 28, 2014 Here is another swivel-bail shell that came with a Korean-era liner. Again, the assumption is it's for a ROK Corporal. Do the South Koreans have no other rank? An Anglo name is inscribed on the inside, resulting in more questions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted August 28, 2014 And finally, a WWII helmet attributed to a French Captain from the First French Army. Amazingly similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted August 28, 2014 So is this a recent phenomenon, or have these been on the market for a while and I just haven't noticed? Is there consensus that Korean Corporal is the rank signified, and has anyone seen photo evidence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkash23686 Posted August 28, 2014 Share #6 Posted August 28, 2014 That french helmet is a forum members and not posted here from what I can tell, so hopefully you got permission to post it here. I've seen a bunch of french marked helmets like that either for sale or in collections in the EU, and there are a few in Helmets of the ETO so its not a "recent phenomenon" for the FR lids. Can't speak for the Korean helmets since not my area of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted August 28, 2014 Share #7 Posted August 28, 2014 ROK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted August 28, 2014 Share #8 Posted August 28, 2014 French Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted August 28, 2014 Share #9 Posted August 28, 2014 My guess is that the answer is that both are correct; either a ROK or KATUSA enlisted rank or a French Captain. (I saw some helmets like this at a shop in Paris recently>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squad leader Posted August 28, 2014 Share #10 Posted August 28, 2014 Regarding the French 1st army helmet, you're right: 3 horizontal white bars is the rank for a captain. Don't know for the S. Korean army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted August 28, 2014 That french helmet is a forum members and not posted here from what I can tell, so hopefully you got permission to post it here. I did get permission but it's nice to know guys like you are out there keeping everyone in line. Has anyone seen photos of the S. Korean helmet in use? Any idea why that's the only apparent Korean rank showing up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted August 28, 2014 French Thanks for the visual. That's very helpful and they do look alike. I wonder if the Korean rank should actually be black? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted August 28, 2014 Share #13 Posted August 28, 2014 Korean rank worn by KATUSAs is red. Suspect there may be various colors over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juodonnell2012 Posted August 29, 2014 Share #14 Posted August 29, 2014 I was stationed in Korea last year and currently the ROK KATUSAS use black rank bars on either a lime green or foliage green background. Also being in Korea I picked up a few ROK used helmets and quite a few of them had Anglo names in them. Most m1 helmets were reissued to the Koreans and would still have their former owners names in them. One of my best friends who is a KATUSAS and a collector took me to a military shop packed with korean army surplus. Also korean marked helmets generally have a neat appearance to the rank and their is about 1/8th of an inch spacing between each bar. Being half korean myself i love ROK Military gear. Also not very relevant to the topic but I wanted to add some of the best friends I have made in the military were KATUSAs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juodonnell2012 Posted August 29, 2014 Share #15 Posted August 29, 2014 I also might add when painted on helmets the ROK regulation was always white, I was told this by more than two ROK army veterans who served in the Korean War as well as vietnam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share #16 Posted August 29, 2014 Very nice, thanks for the information. So in your opinion the examples are ROK? I assume this started (painting rank on American helmets) in 1950 and continued for a long time afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgtdorango Posted August 29, 2014 Share #17 Posted August 29, 2014 Some great info here and excellent study reference on these markings!.....mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juodonnell2012 Posted August 30, 2014 Share #18 Posted August 30, 2014 In my opinion all the examples minus the French one are ROK army Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juodonnell2012 Posted August 30, 2014 Share #19 Posted August 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juodonnell2012 Posted August 30, 2014 Share #20 Posted August 30, 2014 Here is a photo taken awhile ago of my good friend park. He was a corporal when this picture was taken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share #21 Posted August 30, 2014 I can't see his helmet stripes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juodonnell2012 Posted August 30, 2014 Share #22 Posted August 30, 2014 He has it behind his rhino mount which is the standard for katusas. Despite his timid looks. Corporal park was a beast. Scored a consistant 300 on his pt test, Could ruck for miles, expert marksman, and he was just as good as any aof our forward observers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share #23 Posted September 11, 2014 Here is another one. I didn't include Navy Commander because I didn't think these applied. But this photo has me rethinking that. Could any of these actually be Navy helmets? Would the Commander rate on a helmet automatically include the star? This guy is a medical officer so the red cross supplants the star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share #24 Posted May 27, 2015 So I've found a Navy variation, and now here's an Airborne version. Florio Piccinni, 505th PIR, 82nd AB Maybe the three stripes represent each time he broke one of his legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anton67 Posted May 27, 2015 Share #25 Posted May 27, 2015 Isnt this a violation of the rules discussing NON-US militaria??? Just sayin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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