M1 Jungle Camo Liner

[Redstalker]

Here I have a liner which was part of five batches (totalling 854,255) contracted to Westinghouse to be camouflaged for use in jungle fighting. Westinghouse used a template to spray these liners with three green tones and a brown tone. In the Quartermaster catalogue of 1943 the liner designation was: Liner, Helmet, M-1, Jungle Troop, Stock No. 74-L-72-25. The reasoning for the camouflage liners were that the steel body of the M-1 as a helmet was to noisy moving around the jungle environment, with branches brushing against it. Wearing just the liner reduced the noise and the reduced weight helped soldiers move more quickly around the jungle where you had to travel light. The risk of shrapnel from artillery barrage were less common in the jungle and again no need to wear a heavy helmet. Production of the jungle liner discontinued in 1943 and around 300,000 liners were repainted back to olive drab.
Thanks for looking guys

[Watchdog]

A very interesting piece and not something I have seen before. I expect it is quite a rarity between items suffering the well known rigours of jungle use and subsequent repainting ex-theatre.

The logic that produced these seems to me to be typical of the military way of getting things wrong for the right reason.
I would suggest that if the steel helmet was not needed due to lessened balistic risk (ignoring the other factors here) why on earth did the staff think the liner was going to be needed?
I would take some convincing that it brushing against foliage would make appreciably less sound than the steel shell and a plastic head covering in the jungle? Did they think frostbite might occur? Surely a soft hat and of course a hat is really required, would be a better option. The troops themselves seemed to follow this logic in most formations of all nations.

That said, thanks for the info. If I had seen one of these on a dealers table I might have been too quick to dismiss it.

Regards

Mark

[Redstalker]

A very interesting piece and not something I have seen before. I expect it is quite a rarity between items suffering the well known rigours of jungle use and subsequent repainting ex-theatre.

The logic that produced these seems to me to be typical of the military way of getting things wrong for the right reason.
I would suggest that if the steel helmet was not needed due to lessened balistic risk (ignoring the other factors here) why on earth did the staff think the liner was going to be needed?
I would take some convincing that it brushing against foliage would make appreciably less sound than the steel shell and a plastic head covering in the jungle? Did they think frostbite might occur? Surely a soft hat and of course a hat is really required, would be a better option. The troops themselves seemed to follow this logic in most formations of all nations.

That said, thanks for the info. If I had seen one of these on a dealers table I might have been too quick to dismiss it.

Regards

Mark

I read this fact about the liner in Pieter Oosterman’s book ‘The M-1 Helmet of the World War II GI’. It was probably the reason why they repainted 300,000 back to olive drab Mark. Even if you take out the Artillery as a factor for not wearing the steel part of the helmet, then you still have fragmentation grenades, mortars, rifle grenades to contend with. I imagine that head injury casualties probably rose significantly over the period of this introduction. Like you said why not wear a soft cap but I’ve still yet to see in combat footage and photos troops just wearing a liner

[christek]

A first for me too. Very nice!

Thanks for sharing! Cheers

[Watchdog]

Exactly right! Steel helmet (or modern composite) for ballistic protection or soft hat for comfort and sun shade thorn scratches etc, the choice depends on the circumstances but the liner alone is just a "boil in the bag" head!
But as I said it is a genuine piece of militaria and interesting for that reason

Regards

Mark

[Martin C]

Congratulations and thank you for sharing this with the forum.


Mart

[reneblacky]

Ripper rare liner, great pick up

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi Ian ultra rare and ultra cool Liner.I always knew it was only a matter of time before you added one of these Beauties to your collection,well done and thanks for sharing Bud.............

[Redstalker]

Hi Ian ultra rare and ultra cool Liner.I always knew it was only a matter of time before you added one of these Beauties to your collection,well done and thanks for sharing Bud.............

Thanks Jake I’ve had my eye on this one for a while and once the seller reduced the price it was a no brainer to buy it but still set me back a few quid. The next step now is to get a WW2 period M1C set but decent unmessed with examples are far and few between and when available are well outside my price range. May have to sell a few lids to pick one up or hope I just get lucky.

[ruddersrangers44]

I too have sold a few bits etc to finance other items.M1C would be a top shelve jobbie and the centre piece of your collection.