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para-camo helmet covers


1canpara
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Hi all, I recall in the not to distant past someone had posted some photos of their camo helmet covers made of camo-pattern parachute silk...does anyone recall this? I have been looking through the camo posts but can't find any reference to them...I believe some were improvised in the field but some also looked like they cut and sewn with chin strap holes and perhaps even front openings for rank insignia to be visible...

 

does this ring a bell...?

 

thanks,

 

Rick

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If I'm thinkin right it's been within the last month.The fella was talkin bout how

he had bought or already had a para scarf like they have on ebay and how he

had cut and sewed back some sections to get it to fit. I thought I could get one

of those 1foot wide by 36 in long scarfs and it fit but I found out the hard way it

won't.He posted pictures also.Was a good thread.

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thanks guys....I think there was another thread even further back but it's not that important....I was just trying to get a fix on whether the cover was made by the forum member or it was pre-made...I just got one off e-bay (see the link) but I have no idea if it actually is WWII 'issue' or not as claimed :think: (but I also have no reason to disbelieve the sellers claim to it's origin)...it looks rather manufactured to me but hey, it was reasonable enough to make one of my helmets stand out against the others...

 

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

cheers,

 

Rick

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geez, when I look at it again on the e-bay link it looks like a camo shower cap...hopefully it'll look more manly on one of my M-1's :lol:

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Hi all, I recall in the not to distant past someone had posted some photos of their camo helmet covers made of camo-pattern parachute silk...does anyone recall this? I have been looking through the camo posts but can't find any reference to them...I believe some were improvised in the field but some also looked like they cut and sewn with chin strap holes and perhaps even front openings for rank insignia to be visible...

 

does this ring a bell...?

 

thanks,

 

Rick

 

 

Hi Mate.

 

Twas me, basically bought a para silk scarf,off a Uk based dealer,and sewed it to together, to create a 2'x2' square, this was the cheapest option in creating,the look and feel, of this unique Gi , makeshift lid cover.

This option was cheaper than buying a "ready made and cut" chute cover!!

 

When I fitted the finished item, onto one my lids, I compared it to period pics, gotta say, I was quite chuffed,for 20 minutes handi work,and saved myself loads of cash.;)

 

But you are right they do tend to look, a bit like shower caps......all be it cool camo ,shower caps :thumbsup:

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Thanks Gaz, I don't mind DIY stuff, and if I could have found some camo parachute material I would've tried it myself....but with respect to this one I bought, does anyone know if there was such a thing made in WWII?...a camo chute helmet cover with black elastic trim...? I suspect not but I can't seem to find any examples or reference to such a thing...

 

...nonetheless, I'm glad I bought it and it'll add some colour to my olive drab world....

 

cheers,

 

Rick

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craig_pickrall

I haven't seen the cover you are discussing but that last comment about black elastic made me think of the cover used by the South Korean Army (ROK). It looks like a camo parachute cloth with a black elastic band to hold it to the helmet. They have been discussed here before but I'm not sure how to locate any of the threads.

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I think your right Craig, these are ROK. Here's a shot from the auction being discussed.

 

 

Nuts! Oh well, I'll throw it over my roughest M-1 and call it my Korean Army display.....

 

thanks guys,

 

Rick

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Im not doubting that cover is ROK...but i do also remember seeing somewhere that camo chute covers were made for some units while in Germany post war occupation, and Ive seen pics from the 50s or 60s with airborne wearing very form fitting camo chute covers... :think: ......mike

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Is this the type you are thinking of?

 

post-5-1272423185.jpg

post-5-1272423176.jpg

post-5-1272423168.jpg

 

 

Hi , these covers look particularly interesting, never seen the like before, this could be another "Holy grail" for me :thumbsup:

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ClaptonIsGod

Perhaps it's ROK, but I think I've seen a few VN lids with this pattern cover (Mike's comes to mind). Perhaps same pattern but different "stay-on-the-shell" method.

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Yes I believe there was a thread about this pic, it turned out to be post war W.German camo......mike :think:

 

 

I recall that discussion too. And made sense, as this unit was stationed in the FRG when they were ramped up for deployment to Lebanon.

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  • 1 year later...
Hi all, I recall in the not to distant past someone had posted some photos of their camo helmet covers made of camo-pattern parachute silk...does anyone recall this?

Hi,

 

Let's be precise -- that was not a silk. "Silk" is an incorrect slogan only in this case.

 

When camo canopies entered US manufacturing lines during WWII silk was unavailable for American parachute manufacturers. Since December 7th, 1941, Japanese silk was embargoed for the USA and before the war American parachutes were made of just Japanese silk.

 

I collect WWII era US camo canopies and have never seen the specimen made of silk. They all are made of Du Pont's nylon only.

 

Regards

 

Greg

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These helmet covers were dicussed several years ago. I had at that time several of these covers that had been given to me by a friend returning from a tour in Korea. The nylon is much thinner than that of the actual parachute and are not very durable. I've included a picture of the cover on a helmet shell. Sorry for the quality of the picture ... it's over 10 years old.

 

BEAR

 

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These helmet covers were dicussed several years ago. I had at that time several of these covers that had been given to me by a friend returning from a tour in Korea. The nylon is much thinner than that of the actual parachute and are not very durable. I've included a picture of the cover on a helmet shell. Sorry for the quality of the picture ... it's over 10 years old.

Hello BEAR,

 

That's a nice cover, although too good to be made in WWII foxhole. Somehow or other -- it is an interesting item. Is it smooth or ripstop nylon fabric? The image is not the best but it looks like WWII era smooth pattern.

 

The nylon is much thinner than that of the actual parachute and are not very durable.

In order to discuss about thickness of parachute camo canopy nylon we would have to agree a reference point. During WWII nylon was still relatively new invention and the R&D process at nylon fiber and nylon fabric was still under way. Throughout WWII parachute camo nylon fabric changed its thickness. The earliest smooth camo pattern of 1942-1945 had thickness between .12mm and .16mm (sorry am from metric part of globe). Early ripstop nylon for parachute camo canopies (late 1940s) was .19mm.

 

Best regards

 

Gregory

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Hello BEAR,

 

That's a nice cover, although too good to be made in WWII foxhole. Somehow or other -- it is an interesting item. Is it smooth or ripstop nylon fabric? The image is not the best but it looks like WWII era smooth pattern.

In order to discuss about thickness of parachute camo canopy nylon we would have to agree a reference point. During WWII nylon was still relatively new invention and the R&D process at nylon fiber and nylon fabric was still under way. Throughout WWII parachute camo nylon fabric changed its thickness. The earliest smooth camo pattern of 1942-1945 had thickness between .12mm and .16mm (sorry am from metric part of globe). Early ripstop nylon for parachute camo canopies (late 1940s) was .19mm.

 

Best regards

 

Gregory

Gregory,

These covers are not foxhole made in WW2 ... they were Korean made in the early 70s (possibly for the ROK Army). The nylon is not ripstop, it is smooth. The nylon is thinner than nylon used in in any of the WWII parachutes (this is compared to a small chunk of camouflage nylon that my father had). Don't ask for measurements because all I can tell you is that is thinner than a bread box.

I cannot take a newer picture of the cover because I can't find it. Of the 13 I had I gave 11 away and lost the other two.

 

BEAR

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Gregory,

These covers are not foxhole made in WW2 ... they were Korean made in the early 70s (possibly for the ROK Army). The nylon is not ripstop, it is smooth. The nylon is thinner than nylon used in in any of the WWII parachutes (this is compared to a small chunk of camouflage nylon that my father had). Don't ask for measurements because all I can tell you is that is thinner than a bread box.

I cannot take a newer picture of the cover because I can't find it. Of the 13 I had I gave 11 away and lost the other two.

 

BEAR

Hello,

 

Thanks for interesting discussion.

 

OK, when we know more about it I would say it is neither US-made nylon nor parachute fabric. I can not imagine parachute fabric thinner than the thinnest I know (of the US WWII era smooth camo nylons) .12mm, because for whom or for what it would be used? For children, dogs, miniature containers? Impossible. It must be non-US product and not for parachute canopies. Three tone camouflage seems to be similar to US 1940s-1950s pattern but I am not sure if it is identical. In the US canopies basic sand color was close to FS 32648, light green camouflage elements were close to FS 34258 and dark green ones close to FS 34127.

 

Regards

 

Greg

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Gregory,

You are way over my head with color codes so let me try to break some of this down. I did find my two ROK helmet covers, unopened, but I opened one just for these comparisons. I also have a half of a camouflaged parachute (only 12 panels) and I have a cut scrap of camo parachute fabric my father used to have in his footlocker. He gave it to me when I enlisted. I asked him what did I need it for and he said "I don't know maybe you can use it for a scarf or something". And that's just what I did. I've included pictures.

 

ROK helmet cover (no markings on plastic bag)

 

 

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