French Tap Model-56

[Mark K]

French TAP Model-56 showing usage and wear indicative to a field worn example the helmet body is dated to 1965 and is nicely ink marked CARPENTIER CUSSETT in the dome..
The liner in this particular example was produced by PONT DE BUIS and is dated to 1969 it is sporting a early French Lizard Camouflage cover that started its life as a Jacket hood..

Regards Mark

[Watchdog]

This is exactly what many of my colleagues did with our combat jacket hoods (wearing them as a hood was forbidden on tactical grounds!!).

I remember as a kid that many local surplus stores had lizard pattern gear by the "bale" but nobody apart from building site workers wanted it. How things change!!

Regards

Mark

[Tinhat]

Mark, could you show a photo of the way the bails mount on the shell please, the ones I've seen they are fixed bail similar to the early M1s which struck me as odd and I wondered if was standard throughout production.

Thanks
Steve.

[Mark K]

Will do so as soon as I get a chance Steve..

Regards Mark

[Mark K]

Mark, could you show a photo of the way the bails mount on the shell please, the ones I've seen they are fixed bail similar to the early M1s which struck me as odd and I wondered if was standard throughout production.

Thanks
Steve.

Steve best I can manage I am afraid as the auto stabilization in my Camera is cooked so not as clear as I would have liked them..




And another example of a Tap 56 I added to my collection some time back the liner is nicely date stamped to 1954 and the sweat band is stamped to the 1er R.G. The helmet body and liner for the most part have welded themselves together so all I can do is speculate on the year of production it would still appear to be sporting its original paint and cork finish so if the information I am reading is correct this would date this particular shell to no later than 1962 these were first thought to be distributed in and around 1959.. and it is a type two..






Regards Mark

[earlymb]

Mine has fixed bales to which the double 'D'-rings are attached with green/grey leather; the chinstrap itself is OD webbing. Unfortunately there is no date stamp.

[Mark K]

Mine has fixed bales to which the double 'D'-rings are attached with green/grey leather; the chinstrap itself is OD webbing. Unfortunately there is no date stamp.

earlymb any chance of sharing a couple of pictures as time permits of the chinstrap and how the leather is attached to the bales and through the D-rings I am curious now.. I have seen leather used in three seperate applications so it would be interesting to see if it matches one of these and or if it is a different variation..

Regards Mark

[Tinhat]

Thanks for indulging me Mark. The whole thought process behind the design this and the M51 has always perplexed me. "Lets take an M1 but change it to be somehow more cumbersome and add no overall improvement"

Steve.

[earlymb]

earlymb any chance of sharing a couple of pictures as time permits of the chinstrap and how the leather is attached to the bales and through the D-rings I am curious now.. I have seen leather used in three seperate applications so it would be interesting to see if it matches one of these and or if it is a different variation..

Regards Mark

Here is mine. No idea why some of the pics are the wrong way.

[James C]

Nice variation with the green Leather bail extensions ,not seen this type before so thanks for sharing Earlymb here are a few of my Examples