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WWII Helmet use.


Hogan
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It appears  to me (by looking at photo's)that US soldiers whore their helmets more frequently during the second world war then soldiers form other nations.

Is this due to some regulation? I have been looking for any rules about the use of the M1 helmet, but up to now i can't find any...

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In combat areas, yes US troops wore their helmets most of the time. Not sure if it was any more or less frequently than other nation's soldiers.

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Patton: (At a Field Hospital on Sicily) Why are you not wearing your Helmet doctor?

 

Doctor: I can't use my stethoscope then!

 

Patton: Well, then cut two holes in your helmet and see that you can.

thqdau.jpg

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Ha, I love that scene! I watch that movie a few times a year.

 

Looking through my Dad's ETO photos, helmets are shown being worn in those taken in battle zones. In the ones taken on VE Day, nope.

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Radio Operator

I've always wondered about this, but I don't think there was specific regulation or that there was a significant difference in helmet usage between countries. The two countries that always stuck out to me about helmet use were Germany and Russia, but I think this could be attributed to winter head gear not fitting underneath the helmet. Also, you have to take into account that a lot of these pictures were staged, and while soldiers knew the value of wearing a helmet if your not in an active combat zone why would you want to wear a heavy helmet when you could wear a lighter soft hat.      

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Yes, US soldiers frequently wore their helmets when not in combat, whereas most other soldiers only wore them in combat.

 

For example, when the Soviet and Americans met on the Elbe river on April 25th 1945 all the Americans kept their helmets on, whereas the Soviets had switched to soft caps.5cbd8b4085600a364c12348b.jpg.52c5eef2c027645dc9fa472860ee14d1.jpg

 

Another thing to take into consideration is a great number of Soviet photos were staged hours or days after the battle. So while they appear to be in the midst of combat, in actuality there is no danger. On trick is to consider where the photographer is standing, often it is completely in the open and would be shot if any enemy were nearby.

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A US helmet, is also a lot more useful than other helmets, you can wash in it, cook in it, sit on it and use it as bucket to carry things.  It think they just get used to wearing them.  

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When I got in 38 years ago, the only difference between my infantry company and a WW2 Infantry Company

was that we had different uniforms and weapons than they did. We also pretty much operated like a WW2 US Army Infantry Company

in tactics and organization. We even wore M1's drove Jeeps and 2 and a half ton trucks. Some of our dear was old old old.

For us in the field, wearing your helmet is SOP. The only time we did not wear them was digging holes and sometimes on night patrols

we wore soft caps. Kinda like your weapon and mask. Your helmet is always with you and most of the time on your melon. It was SOP for us and

most likely still is. And for the Troops in WW2 No different. It prob started during WW1. Just like always having your mask with you.

You dont necessarily need all the gear they issue, but...... the helmet weapon and mask are always with you

with very few exceptions.

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