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A.E.F. Camouflage “Combat” Helmets


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Photo No. 26: Due to the semi-organized spacing and pattern of the mottling on this helmet belonging to an AEF Coast Artilleryman, I’m leaning towards the dark colored, amorphous shapes being the result of camouflage paint as opposed to dirt, shadows or weathering.

 

Photo courtesy of Great War Images.com

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Burlap & Cotton Covers

Due to the reflective paint applied to early production British helmets, in March of 1916, the British Army’s Chief Ordnance Officer in France declared that the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) should be provided with helmet covers. Later that month The British War Department placed orders with British manufacturing firms and the British Ordnance Depot in Calais began local manufacture of khaki-tan colored burlap covers. Army wide issue commenced as soon as deliveries of the finished product arrived.

 

The burlap/hessian covers proved popular with the British Tommy and were worn through to the end of the war. However, shortly after the MK I Steel Helmets began to be painted with non-reflective paint, official manufacture of the helmet cover was terminated on December 11, 1917. After the fabrication of helmet covers ceased, individual units continued to procure them from local sources or fabricated their own from empty sandbags.

 

Photo No. 27: Based on photographic evidence a number of different helmet covers were made, one of which was a one piece affair with an outer drawstring. At left, this style is worn by an 89th Division Doughboy, while the right hand cover is currently housed in the Australian War Museum.

 

Right hand photo courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

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Photo No. 28: Other patterns of the burlap helmet cover were, from left to right, of one piece construction without the outer drawstring, two panel construction with a sewn seam running from side to side and a cover made up of four panels.

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Photo No. 29: The fifth known pattern burlap helmet cover was constructed of two pieces with the sewn seam running from back to front. In addition, there was a dart (inset) sewn halfway up each side of the cover. The darts enabled the cover to better conform to the helmet’s shape.

 

Photo courtesy of the Scott Marchand collection

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Photo No. 30: The fore and aft seam, side darts, as well as the insignia of the 1st Battalion; Rifle Brigade can be seen in this top view of the burlap cover (left). Regardless of a cover’s style, all burlap helmet covers were secured to the helmet by means of a drawstring sewn into its opening (right).

 

Photo courtesy of the Scott Marchand collection

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Photo No. 31: Here, four panel covers painted with a camouflage pattern are worn by troops of the Durham Light Infantry on Menin Ridge, September, 1917.

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Photo No. 32: Photographic evidence verifies that all styles of the burlap helmet cover were also worn by members of the AEF. These close ups show three 77th Division officers wearing: a cover with an outer drawstring, a camouflage painted burlap cover and a two panel cover with a front to back seam that also appears to have been painted with a camouflage pattern.

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 33: There’s no way to know if this helmet cover is merely stained or if it has had camouflage paint applied. Perhaps this is just a case of wishful thinking, but there does appear to be some faint dark spots on the covers right hand side. Those shadows may be a part of the cover’s camouflage pattern.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 34: High quality, commercially made helmet covers (right), like this example fabricated from cotton, were generally purchased by British and American officers from civilian military outfitters. Major William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan of the 42nd Division (left) wears a similar type of non-regulation helmet cover made from either wool or cotton.

 

Right hand photo courtesy of the Trenchtrotter collection

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Photo No. 35: In this close up of Major Donovan’s helmet cover; it looks more like it was fabricated from olive drab woolen material than cotton.

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Photo No. 36: In this photograph taken in May of 1918, two of the five 26th Division, 101st Infantry Regiment officers are wearing burlap helmet covers. The right hand cover appears to be of the two panel type with a side to side seam.

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Photo No. 37: Despite the absence of documentation stating that burlap helmet covers were in fact an article of issue for the AEF, they do show up in period images with surprising regularity. This collection of wartime sketches drawn during 1918 by Private Cyrus LeRoy Baldridge, depict Doughboys from various stages of the war wearing sandbag covers, supports the fact that burlap covers were widely worn by the troops of the AEF.

 

The previous photo depicted 26th Division officers in May of 1918. The Baldridge drawing at center, titled “Coming Out! Dirty, tired and grinning” is dated June 1918, and labeled “Chateau Thierry” – perhaps a Marine? While Baldridge’s left hand sketch is labeled as being from the St. Mihiel offensive that took place in September of 1918. If we are to believe the authenticity of Baldridge’s sketches and the date assigned to the 26th Division officers … then the use of helmet covers in the AEF span at least a five month long period.

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Photo No. 38: Because of they seem to have been distributed throughout the AEF, one as yet unsubstantiated theory, is that the burlap covers were fabricated in France or purchased from England for the AEF by the Chief Quartermaster, AEF. Here, more burlap covers are worn by a 81st Division Doughboy, a member of the Salvation Army and a American soldier whose unit is not known.

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Mud & Misc. Camouflage

Of all the methods available to camouflage a steel helmet, the application of mud was arguably the most common and the simplest. Any reader of WW I history will know that mud on the Western Front was inescapable, and therefore easily obtained. The uneven surface created by dried mud provided both a matt finish and an excellent means of camouflaging the helmet. It would also blend in perfectly with the war ravaged terrain surrounding the helmet’s wearer.

 

Photo No. 39: Whether the mud on these Doughboy helmets was applied accidentally or intentionally, the camouflaging effect created by the mud mottled surface is undeniably effective.

 

Left & center photos courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 40: In addition to the mud, which appears to have been purposely applied to the 80th Infantry Division Doughboy’s helmet on the left, painted burlap covers or covers made from camouflage painted netting acquired from the “window dressers” of the AEF, and natural foliage were also all used to disguise or conceal the steel helmet’s shape.

 

Center photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 41: Close up of the hand painted burlap or tightly woven camouflage netting helmet cover worn by the above 77th Division officer.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 42: In order to apply shrubbery to a helmet, something to which it could be affixed was necessary. Quite possibly, wire or cord*, wrapped around the bowl of a helmet, similar to what the U.S. Marine (left), the AEF Doughboy (center), and the 32nd Division soldier (right) have attached to their helmets would have sufficed.

 

Center Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

 

*There is another possible reason for the wire or cord attached to these helmets. In August of 1918, the issue of a helmet lanyard that was to be worn around the shoulder was discussed. The purpose of the lanyard was to prevent the loss of the helmet when a soldier donned his gasmask. The matter was forwarded to the General Staff, AEF for approval. At present it is not known if the helmet lanyards were ever approved or not. I have however, seen at least two period photos depicting soldiers with a cord running from the inside of their helmet down towards their right shoulder.

 

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Photo No. 43: These stills borrowed from wartime news footage, shows a hood camouflaged to resemble a rock. As the soldier emerges from his subterranean lair, it becomes clear that the hood is concealing a steel helmet worn by the observer. The actual footage, which is much clearer when not paused, can be viewed at the two minute and fifty-six second mark via the following link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=490y29lsDfQ

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AEF Camouflage Painted Helmets

At the time of posting I have been unable to locate any period documents, official or otherwise, relating to the War Department, U.S. Army or AEF position in respect to the adoption, painting, issue and use of camouflage painted helmets by U.S. military personnel. Therefore, until evidence of any kind either banning or authorizing the wearing of camouflage painted helmets is found, all we have to go on are the few period photographs of what appear (to me) to be camouflage painted helmets being worn by combat troops of the AEF that follow.

 

Between the period images are existing examples of period painted camouflage helmets that were likely brought home by AEF veterans returning from France. It is my opinion that the vast majority of these “bring backs” were in all probability “souvenir helmets” painted after hostilities had ceased in what remained of 1918, throughout 1919 and during the early 1920’s. One or two of the examples shown do however, have a “been there, done that” look to them. Therefore, when it comes to WW I era camouflage helmets, it’s probably wise to refrain from using the words “always” and “never”, when discussing WW I camouflage helmets.

Of the thirteen period photos of camouflage painted helmets being worn by American Doughboys, used in this post, each appear to have been taken in Europe:

  • One, dated 1919, during the occupation of Germany
  • One, a Signal Corps photo, of an American sniper, either in action or posed in a trench
  • One, during a training exercise in what appears to be a quiet sector trench
  • Two, from the same photo, of an AEF medical detachment somewhere behind the lines
  • Two, in French photo studios
  • Six, either: during … or prior to … or shortly after combat … or somewhere in the AEF Zone of Advance

It should also be said that the camouflage pattern painted on each helmet is strikingly different. This suggests that there was no authorized pattern or color scheme prescribed by the AEF. Therefore we must assume that all of the helmets were independently painted by individual soldiers or at squad, company or brigade level.

 

It is my opinion that one helmet was a studio prop painted by and provided by the French photographer, another helmet is a post-war souvenir camouflage helmet purchased overseas by the wearer. Eight of the helmets are very likely authentic wartime camouflage helmets that were purposely painted for use in the trenches. The circumstances under which the remaining two helmets were worn make it impossible to judge if the wearers’ destination was a front line trench or a homeward bound troop ship … Thus, that pair of possible combat helmets, both of which feature completely different paint schemes, could be either genuine combat camouflage helmets or period “counterfeit combat camouflage helmets”, aka souvenir camouflage helmets.

 

A final observation regarding the period images of camouflage helmets is that only two of the helmets featured patterns whose individual segments were outlined – one with black paint and the other with white paint.

 

I have also opted to not use any descriptive words, such as “stained glass” – “lozenge” – “tortoise shell” – “blotch” or “window pane” to further describe the type of pattern painted on the helmets as those descriptive adjectives were coined after the war by the collectors and sellers of WW I vintage helmets. Thus far, research has brought to light only two labels for WW I era camouflage paint schemes, i.e. “dazzle” and “disruptive”.

 

If any forum member or visitor can add any additional information or photos of camouflage helmets as worn by the AEF, please do so as the information provided in this post is far from complete.

 

Photo No. 44: Two 1917 Steel helmets bearing different disruptive pattern camouflage schemes in colors that are best described as “autumn” or “fall”.

 

Photos courtesy of Advance Guard Militaria.com

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Photo No. 45: Images of three vastly different camouflage paint schemes. At left is a Doughboy posing on the back of a FT17 Light Tank, likely mired in the mud during the September, 1918 St. Mihiel engagement. The center and right hand photos are both studio portraits. The center image is of an unnamed soldier from an unknown AEF organization, whose helmet bears a subtle, soft edged camouflage paint job. On the right is a member of the 82nd Division sporting a helmet with a “dazzle” camouflage pattern.

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 46: Close up of the tank rider’s (four color?) camouflage helmet. It’s difficult to tell, but the individual colors may be outlined with black paint.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 47: The full image of the mired FT17 Light Tank and its rider.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 48: Close up of the (three color?) soft edged camouflage helmet.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Photo No. 49: Close up of the (two or three color?) “dazzle” pattern camouflage helmet. Because it is unlikely that a helmet with this style of camouflage paint would be worn in the trenches, it was probably the property of and painted by the French photographer who took the picture.

 

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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Dazzle Camouflage

British naval officer and marine artist Norman Wilkinson is credited with devising the oversized and boldly shaped camouflage patterns that were painted on Allied merchant and warships during the First World War. Christened as “Dazzle Camouflage”, the seemingly random jumble of arcs, lines, geometric shapes, and contrasting colors were in fact, carefully planned to distort each ship’s physical shape when viewed at a distance through optical devices, such as a range finder.

 

Introduced in the summer of 1917, the intent of dazzle camouflage was to reduce the number of British and Allied ships lost to German submarines. The designs, which were first tested on small wooden models, were scaled up and applied to the full sized ships. By the summer of 1918, some 2,300 Allied ships had been camouflaged. Allied shipping losses diminished significantly in the wake of the dazzle camouflage. However, it was later discovered that the decline in shipping losses was largely due to the success of the convoy system.

 

Photo No. 50: Two views of dazzle camouflage as applied to the American troopship USS Leviathan.

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