A.E.F. Camouflage “Combat” Helmets

[world war I nerd]

AEF1917, very nice covers! Any ideas on their origin ... British made? ... AEF made? ... Commercially made? ... Other?

[CW4AFB]

Brian --this is a great thread and I want to contribute to it by sharing this 87th Division helmet for your analysis---what is not easily seen is that there is another 87th Div symbol also carefully etched into the helmet but only the one side is painted...

 

I'm not sure what the soldier was trying to do with the camo pattern but it sure is different...

Al

[world war I nerd]

Al thanks for adding your 87th Div. helmet.You're definitely correct about the unusual camouflage pattern. I've no idea about what the original painter had in mind though. If I had to come up with a name for a pattern like that, I'd probably call it a "Grass" or "Wheat Field" pattern.

[CW4AFB]

Brian---in person it looks almost like tiger stripes---but I've never seen another like it...never say never....

[world war I nerd]

Al, I've seen at least one, or maybe two, cammo helmets with a similar vertical squiggly camouflage patterns. I don't always save images of odd cammo, but If I do have any I'll post them for comparison.

 

In the meantime, here's two possible camouflage helmets. Because both have wooden buildings for the backdrop there's no way to know if the photos were taken overseas or stateside.

 

I'm pretty sure that the left hand Doughboy is wearing a camouflage helmet. Based on his unrecognizable diamond shaped SSI, it does look as if he served overseas. The right hand soldier's helmet could just be dirty. He appears to be wearing a ribbon for the Victory Medal and has one service chevron on his left cuff ... Can't tell if the chevron's silver or gold though.

 

Photos courtesy of the National WW I Museum

[world war I nerd]

This image has absolutely nothing to do with this topic except for the fact that it bears the word "camouflage". But it is however, vaguely relevant to the small portion of text regarding the "Window Dressers" of the AEF as it appears to be the HQ or office of the camouflage officer of an unknown regiment.

 

Not sure if the numeral "32" within the triangle painted near the apex of the roof is a clue or not. Also just above the Engineer's castle on the front door is a three digit number that could be anything between 102 and 109. Below the castle is the word "Capt." followed by the illegible surname of the presumed officer in charge, which begins with the letter "C" (I think).

 

Can anybody decipher the unit or the officer of "Chateau Camouflage"?

[world war I nerd]

I cropped & enlarged this image from a larger cartoon titled "Fashion Hints" found in the November 1, 1918 edition of the "Stars and Stripes newspaper.

 

Not sure if it is life imitating art or art imitating life. However, most of the clothing depicted in this guy's cartoons were humorous depictions of actual articles of issue in the AEF. In this case a couple of burlap helmet covers with strips of "Hessian" cloth ... By the way, Hessian is what the British called burlap.

[cthomas]

This image has absolutely nothing to do with this topic except for the fact that it bears the word "camouflage". But it is however, vaguely relevant to the small portion of text regarding the "Window Dressers" of the AEF as it appears to be the HQ or office of the camouflage officer of an unknown regiment.

 

Not sure if the numeral "32" within the triangle painted near the apex of the roof is a clue or not. Also just above the Engineer's castle on the front door is a three digit number that could be anything between 102 and 109. Below the castle is the word "Capt." followed by the illegible surname of the presumed officer in charge, which begins with the letter "C" (I think).

 

Can anybody decipher the unit or the officer of "Chateau Camouflage"?

 

That 32 within a triangle is indeed a clue. It's for the 32nd Division, which helps further identify the unit # on the door as the 107th Engineers. If you can dig up a roster on the 107th, find the CO and that should give us the good Captain's name.

 

-Chuck

[CW4AFB]

Here is one that qualifies for the "brightly painted style" and I know it's unmessed with because it belonged to my mother's uncle who served as a medic in the 82nd Division at St. Mihiel and the in the Argonne. The back story on this is pretty amazing: the guy had been a pharmacist in upstate New York before the war and the Army knew it and made him a medic---when has that ever happened?

 

Al

[world war I nerd]

Al, thanks for sharing your family's 82nd Div painted helmet. As you mentioned, that is indeed a textbook example of a bright cammo scheme.

 

I think I've already mentioned this, but over the years I've noticed that quite a few 82nd Division camouflage helmets have been painted with unusually bright colors. Unfortunately, I didn't download any of the photos as I was only interested in paint schemes that might have actually been worn at the front. However, going forward, I'll start saving them to see if there are any common patterns or color schemes.

[David D]

It seems like every 82nd came I have ever seen has been painted very brightly such as Al's example. There are 2 on AGM's web bonus section...

[CW4AFB]

It seems like every 82nd came I have ever seen has been painted very brightly such as Al's example. There are 2 on AGM's web bonus section...

Dave---and what make's even more unusual, I remember Uncle Harold very well and he was a very quiet guy, soft spoken and placid---yet he had this wildly painted helmet...and a very ornately carved pipe with the AA symbol and his unit info carefully carved into it...conversely, my uncle Ben who had served with the 78th and been badly gassed, was very outgoing and personable and he kept nothing...go figure...

[GWS]

This is the only "Combat Camo" in my collection. Unfortunately, no I.D.

[world war I nerd]

GWS, very cool and an unusual pattern as well! Thanks for posting.

 

What are the colors? It looks like black, yellow, red-brown, gray & olive green ...?

[hink441]

Here is one I have. Autumn colors. Early Britsh made magnetic helmet with the rim edge removed. Came from a Vet's family in Mississippi.

 

[hink441]

Here is one more I have.

 

[GWS]

GWS, very cool and an unusual pattern as well! Thanks for posting.

 

What are the colors? It looks like black, yellow, red-brown, gray & olive green ...?

 

Thanks. Hard to describe, but yellow, light brown with a reddish tint,light and dark olive and an off-white area with a white border around each painted section. Looks like it may have been painted off-white over the entire helmet and then the other colors applied. Liner and chin strap are intact.

[GWS]

This one doesn't really fit in here other than it is a painted WW1 helmet. I had posted it on the Helmets section previously. I asked if anyone had seen one like it before and member, Beast replied that he had seen one on Ebay from an Indiana based dealer. He surmised that a local VFW or American legion Post may have done it as part of a memorial to the soldier. I concur with his opinion. I'm pretty sure it was not done by a family member, but never say never! Has anyone else seen a helmet such as this? Curtis O. Thomas- 84th Div. 334th Inf. Co. H

[repbrock]

From my collection. Please see post above. I have found that the same artist painted similar helmets for other CAC regiments. Www.50cac.com. French artists would set up shop out side camps and at the piers in hopes of making some extra bucks from Doughboys.

[CW4AFB]

Here's another helmet that I have had for a long time--ID'ed to a soldier in Co D, 336th Machine Gun Battalion, 87th Division....and the only one I have ever owned that has 3 small holes drilled on each side ---for a face shield?

 

Al

[David D]

Here is my only camo helmet. Still has a very clean sand texture. Obviously never used in combat or evem issued for that matter. But it is a very good example of the camo often seen being used over there.

 

[aef1917]

The sand-finished helmets were salvaged and refurbished by AEF Ordnance.

[David D]

So this was possibly used over there? Sorry for the silly question but WWI is pretty new to me...

[aef1917]

So this was possibly used over there? Sorry for the silly question but WWI is pretty new to me...

 

Most likely. I've never come across a reference to any sort of similar program to refurbish helmets stateside.

[David D]

Ok cool. Thanks for the help.