Author Archives: maplecreekmilitaria

Austrian M17*

General Information: After the First World War the newly independent country of Austria continued to produce Austro-Hungarian Model 1917 type helmets. These helmets were nearly identical to their wartime counterparts. A quick differentiator for the collector is that the earlier helmets had cloth chinstraps whereas the later versions had leather chinstraps. The thick headed rearContinue reading “Austrian M17*”

Afghan*

updated 5/29/2025 General Information: The Afghan army equipped soldiers with reissued German First World War helmets starting in the 1930s. They used a variety of German manufactured types including M16, M17, M18, and M18 ear cut out types. They also used Austro-Hungarian M17 and postwar Czechoslovakian vz20s.[1] These helmets were affixed with a badge consisting ofContinue reading “Afghan*”

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”*”