Debate on ww2 Dennison helmet nets?

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi this ww2 "Dennison net"original is currently on US ebay and just wanted the thoughts in general from you guys in regards to whether these were actual contract made nets as they were mentioned in Chris Arnolds "painted steel"?obviously we know that during the Dday landings there were a lot of these large type mesh nets being worn along with british small type mesh nets so thats not an arguble debate however the burning question is A-were the nets we see in period pictures simply large nets that have been roughly cut into squares to fit an M1 helmet or is this whole story of a so-called company called "DENNISON" actually producing these nets under US contract?its always been common knowledge that the only offical US made net was the M44 (the small tight woven type with the attached neophene elastic band).there was a story about someone in the nineties that found a roll of ww2 large mesh net and simply cut small square sections and added a white label "Dennison USA 1944".there just doesn't seem to be the info out there,iv'e always been sceptical of these especially when there's money to be made off the back of history...........Jake.

[tinlid]

I think they are real, the last one I bought was in a junk shop not far from me for £5. Not that I've got any proof, but just what I've read on the web about them.

[ruddersrangers44]

Now Aaron that looks the business is he for sale?lol........Jake.

[GIZMO8Z]

Here is mine:

[Sir Payne]

Joe, a bit off topic, but is yours a Chaplain's helmet?

[GIZMO8Z]

Joe, a bit off topic, but is yours a Chaplain's helmet?

It certainly has a cross on the front... who knows if it's a chaplains helmet or if a regular soldier just needed a little extra protection from a higher power...?

[ruddersrangers44]

Think im starting to get that deja vu feeling again like im going round in circles and ending right back at the start.Im still none the wiser than i was before.so if Dennison was a well known maker why do most books fail to even mention there very existence?im sticking to cut up do it yourself type netting that still sounds the plausible..........Jake.

[GIZMO8Z]

Idk Jake... It seems to me that soldiers would have a lot of access to netting. Think of all the down-time they had while they sat in the holds of troop transports making trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific trips. It seems logical to me that a lot of supplies would be bound up by netting like this...

My netting looks like it was cut from a much larger net.

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi Joe thats what im getting at....I find it hard to believe that boxes of perfectly cut nets with little white labels arrived in weymouth and were being handed out in the embarkation areas,be like selling choc ices at the movies,get your free nets here!!!!!......Jake

[NickD]

don't really know about these nets but here's a discussion on USMF about them

Dennison Helmet Nets - STEEL AND KEVLAR HELMETS - U.S. Militaria Forum