General Information: The army of the Irish Free State used the Model 1927 helmet from 1927 to 1939. After this period, the helmets were painted white and issued to the Civil Defense forces. The helmets were copies of the German Model 1916. The famous British firm, Vickers, manufactured 10,021 of the M27s. Vickers used lowContinue reading “Irish M27”
Monthly Archives: March 2024
US M-2 Paratrooper
General Description: The standard M-1 helmet used by the US army during the Second World War was not appropriate for airborne troops because the steel shells had a tendency to separate from the detachable liners during jumps. The solution was to create a modified version of the M-1 for use by paratroopers. The new model,Continue reading “US M-2 Paratrooper”
Japanese IJA “Cherry Blossom”
General Information: The Japanese “Cherry Blossom” helmet was what the Japanese soldiers wore when they invaded China in 1931. It was an improvement over the very limited production earlier model which is referred to by collectors as the “Star Vent” or “Model 1918” helmet, although it apparently never had an official designation. The earlier helmetContinue reading “Japanese IJA “Cherry Blossom””
Freikorps
General Information: Many Freikorps units famously used reissued First World War helmets adorned with swastikas or white painted Totenkof (death’s head), symbols. Less well known is that some units also used painted horizontal bands around the circumference of the helmet to identify themselves. This type of helmet with painted bands can be seen in someContinue reading “Freikorps”
Steel Helmets of the World Wars 