ARAB ARMY helmets Arab Israeli wars, 1967 - 1982

[Tinhat]

Thanks James and Battlegear, I knew there was more out there.

Steve

[Jerry B]

missed this thread before today, thanks for sharing

[Tinhat]

One more, a fairly boring old Wz50 with Arabic writing on the liner, most likely Egyptian once I can get it translated it might give me a clue. Came from Israel.










Photo is of an Egyptian soldier escorting Israeli POWs in 1973.

For those who have a passing interest in this subject I've also posted caps and berets here:

Arab army headgear from the Arab / Israeli wars

Steve.

[Reibert]

Pretty interesting thread !
Thx. a lot !

[Tinhat]

I bit of déjà vu from post #12 but it took me so long to find one I wasn’t going to turn down another. Jordanian used MkII with distinctive cammo pattern.









Side by side, I wasn’t expecting the paint to be that similar in



I also found a better image of them in use.



Steve.

[magicdutchmen]

Three Egyptian used helmets. Found on a flee market in Cairo.
One Zuckerman with Egyptian eagle on the front, one British MKII and one brodie copy.

[Tinhat]

Three Egyptian used helmets. Found on a flee market in Cairo.
One Zuckerman with Egyptian eagle on the front, one British MKII and one brodie copy.

Thanks for posting great examples with locally made liners, the Zuckerman is really nice.

The one with the large rivet is an odd, I've seen them for sale before, normally out of Russia but have a decal with Arabic writing.
Steve.

[Tinhat]

This just arrived, Syrian Wz50, likely 1982 Lebanon War bring back.

Syrian didn’t use cammo covers until the mid to late 80s, and there are few definitive attributes that can identify a helmet as Syrian.

The first is the net, this is seen in numerous photos and is always the same type, thicker string larger holes, the other is that there are some photos of helmets with a white circle painted on the front.

This helmet has both, its date 1977 which aligns with my Lebanon assumption as it came from Israel.

I’m very pleased to add this to the pile.













To back up my earlier statement here are some photos.

The net



4 soldiers 3 different helmets - a collector’s dream



The white circle.





Men at arms – Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 has this image and credits the circle as a squad leader (1987 paratrooper), I can’t find any other source but the photos do show only one soldier with it in each group– the logic of a big white dot on the front of your helmet escapes me though.



Steve

[Tinhat]

I know what you are all thinking, this is a Police helmet not an army helmet, and you would be correct. I’m creeping it in here for two reasons

Firstly, the Police were under the command structure of the Arab Legion, that changed in 1956 I believe, but that’s a small detail.

Secondly is a great looking helmet, unique to Jordan. This model came into use in the 1930s, made by Hobsons of London. It’s a weird mix of Polo and British Police helmet with a hint of Saracen. The badge although the same style as the army badge reads read ‘General Security’.















Apart from this one, in the past 10 years I’ve only ever seen two for sale, one missed out of stupidity and the other I got my timing wrong for the auction. There was one on the Historama website and one in Peter Suciu’s collection, it’s a hard helmet to find.

It was a popular trophy item in 1967 and at least 4 of the 5 I mentioned were for sale in Israel.



There is also a light khaki version, often said to be a summer helmet, I don’t think that is correct, the khaki version is for the Royal Bedouin Police (formerly Desert Police Force), the black one for the city / municipal Police



The modern Jordanian Police still use a type of this helmet, but a slightly different design



Steve

[Composite]

dont worry...you shouldn't need to justify POLICE lids here...although I was once told that Brit Home Front lids "aren't military" and shouldn't be posted - the general response was that for a while the Home Front WAS pretty much a battle front so they count. sad innit........