Danish M/48 helmet Part 1 (1945-1951), First batch, original US M1 Helmets.

[Twthmoses]

Bit of history on the Danish M/48 helmet.....

After World War 2 the Danish Army Uniform commission of 1945 was established (it was actual named “of 1945”). The commission would continue to work into the 1960s with the adoption of combat uniform M/58 (introduced in 1959-1960). Until this, the army used uniform M/44 and the later modification, usually called M/44(50), though I do not think there is an official nomenclature for it. It was not a brand new uniform system, but rather smaller modifications to existing equipment and new equipment / parts introduced.

One of the items up was a new helmet. Right after World War 2 the army received quite a few British helmets, used in large numbers, as well as the Swedish helmet, that the 5000 strong Danish brigade in Sweden, had been equipped with. The Home Guard, Civil Defense (actually the forerunner of both, as they were formed in 1949) and Police where even worse of, they used a barrage of different helmets, Swedish, British, German and Old Danish, if they even had any. Therefore, a new common helmet where envisioned, primarily for the Army, Air force (1950) and Navy. Home Guard, Civil Defense and Police was not initial in mind upon figuring out which helmet to select, but eventually jointed in when the Army already had selected the M/48 helmet.

The original M/48 steel helmet.

Press photo. Forsøgskompagniet (2. Company of 21. Battalion), 1. March 1950 at Fangel Kro (Fangel inn) about 8 km southwest of Odense on Fyn island. King Frederik 9. is inspecting the new uniforms M/44(50).

In late 1948, the commission started looking at the American M1 helmet, but it took almost a year before a test unit was established. Even though already in February 1949 it were announced, by the Defense Press Service, that a test unit was envisioned for the new uniform M/44(50), herein included the M/48 helmet, it would drag on till late October 1949, before a company was equipped with the new uniform and helmet. One can imagine that it where the different items of the new uniform that needed trimming, before a company were equipped with the new stuff and testing commenced on company scale. Some of the conscripts called up in May 1949 did receive bits of the new uniform for testing, but not the helmet.

The test company was 2. company of 21. Battalion located in Høvelte Barracks under Captain G. H. A. Baasch. They were fully equipped with the new uniform and helmet, and send on exercises all over north-Zealand and Bornholm. The company consisted of 140 conscripts who had volunteered for this company, knowing that they would do none-stop exercises as close to war-like conditions as possible for 4-5 month straight. An additional 10 officers where attached to the company. The final approving exercise was to be the big winter exercise on the island of Fyn, running 25 February – 2 March 1950 involving 10.000+ soldiers. This exercise was also the first time the Home Guard joint a military exercise, as well as the Luftmeldetjensten (Air report service) and LotteKorpset.

Sadly 21. Battalion did not make the cut when the Defense where reformed in 1951. The battalions reverted to regiments, and 21. Battalion where proposed as Slesvigske Jægerkorps, its original named when formed in 1788. It was not formed and its banner was handed over to a local defense battalion of the new 1. Regiment. Its legacy is that they tested the helmet used by the rest of the Danish Defense for the next 50 years.



Press photo(1). Captain Baach of Forsøgskompagniet, with 2IC lieutenant Vase, wearing the new uniform and helmet, 28 February 1950. Winter exercise on Fyn.
Press photo(2). Colonel Gundelach, commander of the attacking forces, wearing the new helmet, 28 February 1950. Also wearing an unauthorized scarf. Winter exercise on the island of Fyn.
Press photo(3). 5. Battalion of 6. Regiment (old regiment structure) 6 February 1950. Having been equipped with the new helmet.
Press photo(4). 2. Battalion of 7. Regiment (old regiment structure) 1. March 1950, during winter exercise on Fyn. 2. Battalion was equipped 24 January 1950 with the new helmet. Note the American style helm net.

However, events unfolded that lead the Army to adopt the M1 helmet before the exercise even took place. Thus, large parts of the Army was already equipped with the helmet during the winter exercise.

Denmark jointed NATO in April 1949 and this opened up for American weapons help. These negotiations where conducted in November 1949 (signed in January 1950). It was not a free game, different countries had different deals with USA, what the counter actions should be.

Equal important, this also open up for buying directly from the massive US World War Two surplus depots in Germany, Netherland and Belgium, which was not part of the weapons help program. Denmark took advantage of this several times in the 1950s, like the massive haul of August-December 1950 when the US emptied many depots in Belgium. Denmark got millions of tons of ammunitions, field hospital gear and barracks stuff, as beds, lockers etc., free. All they had to do was supply transport (ships) and pay for loading.
One of these buys was the US M1 helmets, which took place in December 1949. It almost seems like it came unexpectedly. In the dying days of 1949, the Defense Press Service release a statement that the Army had adopted the US M1 helmet (they called it US model 1941). The Krigsministeret (War ministry) where offered a deal they could not refuse, from US surplus depots in Germany and they brought a “large” number of helmets.

These where used World War 2 helmets. If any of them where new, it was simply because they had been laying on depot all the war. It was a mix of all types & versions, both shells and liners. McCord, Schlueter & Parrish, rear and front joint rim, fixed, movable and D-bailes, shade 3 & 7 chinstraps, J-hooks and Ball-and-clevis release - all with dark or light olive drab colored shells, with sand or cork finish on the outside. There might or might not have been war or post war modifications to any number of them. The Army adopted the helmet as the “Hjelm, Infantri, Ydre, M/48, Komplet” (Helmet, Infantry, Outer, M/48, Complete), NSN 8415-22-230-3839. The liner was adopted as “Hjelm, Inder, M/48, Komplet” (Helmet, Infantry, Inner, M/48, Complete), NSN 8415-22-230-3841. Both NIIN (National Item Identification Number) carry the codified date of 1. January 1963. This is the date Denmark adopted the NSN system, thus all items adopted prior to this date, carries this date.

How many they got, is a good question. The Army need was 42.000 just to equip forces in service, 18.000 standing + 24.000 conscripts. For full mobilization about 140.000 helmets where needed, plus a decent resupply stock. A good guess is they got between 50.000 and 200.000 helmets in a short time. Based on later prices, they probably paid around 1-4$ each. This included liners.

In a remarkable short time, a few month, starting from mid-January 1950, the entire army was equip with this new helmet. It happened so silent that rumors stated to surface - because the local garrison in a city suddenly had new helmets - that American weapons help, had stated to arrive. This was not the case. No uniform / webbing was part of the program and the first American weapons help arrived in Esbjerg harbor by ship in early May 1950 with antiaircraft guns.

Home Guard and Civil Defense needs helmets.
Already before the Home Guard was formed in 1949, there was minor talks about that the Home Guard should be equipped like the army, and for good reason. Money and supply obviously, but also that in case of war, an enemy should not be able to determinant from where a unit originated, just by looking at equipment. That became a very voiced issue from mid-1950 to early 1951, when it where finally decided that the Home Guard should be equipped like the Army. The Home Guard where envisioned to be around 110.000 men strong. Practically no more than 60.000 – 75.000 was ever enrolled at any given time, and no more than half that was active members.

After the Army was equipped with new M/44(50) uniforms, including M/48 helmet by 1950-1951, a lot of stuff became available for the Home Guard. The Home Guard was equipped with Australian uniforms in Jutland and M/44 battle dress on Zealand, British helmets (expect Fyn, which used Swedish helmets) and Swedish rifles across the board.
The Army and Home Guard always shared the same supply system. They had different depots, storage facilities and budgets but they shared the same type of equipment. Not all was adopted by either, most was adopted by the Army and fell down to the Home Guard, but sometimes it happened in reverse order. This made it easy to move equipment, by simply transferring from one budget to another. Not too much politics needed. The Civil Defense did not share this supply system.

They too, the Civil Defense, were in the process of being equipped, including uniforms and helmets. Therefore, they turned to the Army, thinking if the Army’s new Helmet is good enough for war, it is probably good enough as a general protection helmets. They Army thinking, if the Civil Defense is about to spend a couple of millions on helmets we already have, what a great time to equipped the Home Guard with this helmet also, as per the equal uniform scenario. The more you purchase the better the price. This is the simple version. In reality a lot more politic was involved.

The Civil Defense consisted of the 12.000 men state-run CF-Corps, most of them conscripts and another 200.000 people in the municipality Civil Defense. They too had a mixture of different helmets, British, old Danish and German. Not all would need a new helmet, as it was not suited for all tasks, like example, many municipality fire departments were never equipped with the helmet. Most likely an active choice. A stated need for the Civil Defense in 1951 was 161.000 helmets.

… Continues in
- Part 2 (1951-1952), second batch, The Diaward M1 Helmet.
- Part 3 (1953-1960), the Glastic shell, an M1 shell experiment.
- Part 4 (1957-1971), the plastic liner M/58 and LS & U.SCH shells
- Part 5 (1970s-2010), the end of the M1 helmet in Danish service.
- Part 6, a general overview of Danish modifications to shells and liners.

Little gallery of original US M1 Helmets in Danish use.

A McCord 144B with a Westinghouse liner. Shell outside is a sandpaper lighter green. A large part of the Danish purchase was like this, but not all. The Americans did it prior to December 1949. The liner has a Danish M/58 chinstrap and sweatband. The nap strap does not appear to be from this liner, but is of US make. A great many liners of Danish origin will be mixed up just like this, after 50+ years use. You will also find the far more common M/58 plastic liner, with US spare parts. This one has had a helmet net on for a long time. In many places you can clearly see the darker green it original was (pre-1949).



Another example, a McCord 701F.



This is a McCord 324D. It has been sandblasted in 1991, to be ready for repaint. Afterward it was scrapped because of stress fractures. When helmets was scrapped, they got grinded in the front, so depot workers could see it was a discarded helmet, if you tried to swap it for a new. Even after sandblasting, one can clearly see the original dark green color and that, it was previously repainted with the 70’s shiny green color.





All of the following are from The Danish Defense Image gallery (Forsvarsgalleriet)



Engineers cutting a tree, 1956.


Engineers inspecting a mine. From left to right : US helmet, Diaward helmet, US helmet, Diaward helmet, 1956.


Engineers. Left a Diaward helmet and right a US helmet, 1956.


Sjællandske Luftværnsregiment, 1957, working a 90mm Air defense cannon.


Soldier from 32. Artilleriafdeling (Sjællandske Artilleriregiment) working a 155mm "Long Tom", about 1960.


Soldiers from the Army’s artillery school in Ringsted, working a 155mm grenade. The two on either side wearing US M1 helmets, while the middle is wearing a Diaward M1 helmet. Note the dark (left) and light color (right). About 1960.


Soldier with a AN/PRC-10 radiostation, 1963.


Artillery crew working a 203mm haubitz, 1970. Most soldiers seems to be wearing original US M1 helmets.


NATO excise “Bold Gannet” September 1984. Interview with a radio station. Wearing a US M1 helmet.


NATO excise “Bold Gannet” September 1984. MP soldier wearing a US M1 helmet (with chinstrap rivet fix), while having a chit-chat with Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), four-star US general Bernard Rogers.


The Royal Lifeguards bicycle company, 1986. Center soldier wearing a US M1 Helmet.


Excise “Accord Express 87”. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark speaking to a soldier wearing a US M1 helmet. 1987.


Northern European Command Infantry Competition (NECIC). Soldier wearing a US M1 helmet with chinstrap rivet fix. Note the M1 Garand en bloc clip taped over the rear sight of the M/75 Rifle! Borris, October 1987.


Northern European Command Infantry Competition (NECIC). Soldier wearing a US M1 helmet with chinstrap rivet fix. Borris, October 1987.

[reneblacky]

What a Fantastic reference Thank You!