Helmet foliage band info needed

**NickD** · 05-14-2013, 06:13 PM

i recently got the below M-1 with an odd helmet band ive seen these before from time to time but never been able to find any info on them are these US helmet bands or foreign versions ??

its been suggested that these are made from surplus canvas chinstrap off the British Mark 3 Turtle helmet dose any one here know anything about this if they were & if so why it just seems a very odd thing to do

Helmet foliage band info needed - STEEL AND KEVLAR HELMETS - U.S. Militaria Forum

**davejb** · 05-15-2013, 12:06 AM

Hi Nick , ive seen these as well in fact i think ive got acouple knocking around somewhere , not too sure of origin , i thought they were just general elasticated piieces but did'nt associate them with British helmets but i suppose its quite possible albeit there must have been an American supplier of like pieces

**NickD** · 05-15-2013, 12:26 PM

it just seems a bit strange if they are made of surplus WW2 British chin straps i guess the question is why & also why is it i only ever seem to see these come up on US helmets don't think Ive ever seen them on British lids ???

**JBR** · 05-15-2013, 02:37 PM

I, too, have only seen them on US M1s - not even on foreign M1 copies. Not only that, I've been coming across them for a long time. Probably more than 20 years. I wonder if, whatever the source of the material, these are locally (ie UK/Europe) commissioned substitutes for the neoprene originals right at the end of the M1's service life - perhaps in the mid-80s when frontline troops would have the PASGT with neoprene bands being reserved for them? Best Regards,

**NickD** · 05-15-2013, 05:43 PM

thanks for your input JBR

i use to see these a lot but no so much these days they never really interested me but now Ive got one its bugging the hell out of me as to their origins & the fact i cant seem to find any info on them at all

**Stinkpotpete** · 05-16-2013, 03:05 AM

I seem to remember seeing pictures of guys wearing helmets with these wide ones. I can't remember if the pictures were from around korea or the late 50s or early 60s. When we switched from the M1 to the fritz, we still used the same helmet band, just the cover changed. Now I'm going to go to bed thinking about fat helmet bands and where I saw them before lol

**NickD** · 05-16-2013, 08:01 AM

thanks for the info Paul

its funny as no matter what type of search i do i haven't come across a single pic of them in use its indeed frustrating !!!

**edelweiss123** · 05-16-2013, 08:39 AM

Hi Dave, well this is something thats going to keep me entertained for the day! I can see where you're coming from with it being from surplus materiel that would have made the Mk3 chinstraps though! After doing a little searching the only picture i can find is this one. Don't know if its period though.

**edelweiss123** · 05-16-2013, 08:41 AM

by edelweiss123

Hi Dave, well this is something thats going to keep me entertained for the day! I can see where you're coming from with it being from surplus materiel that would have made the Mk3 chinstraps though! After doing a little searching the only picture i can find is this one. Don't know if its period though.

Like the fool i am, ive just looked at your link and can see you have already found this photo! Sorry

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 05-16-2013, 08:43 AM

Hi Nick,all I can add to the discussion is that back in the late 80's early 90's our local government surplus store here in Norwich UK,had piles of US M1 helmets with various covers(Mitchel,woodland etc).They ALL had these thick elasticated bands on.There must have been 200 lids in all and not one with the normal thin band! I always wondered whether the US authorities kept the original bands as they were still in use on the Kevlar helmets and just made some cheap replacements for the surplus lids? Leon.