Tag Archives: infantry

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*”

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*”

Japanese M41 Paratrooper*

General Information: The Imperial Japanese Army fielded a small number of airborne units during the Second World War. At the end of 1944 these units were consolidated to form the First Raiding Group (Dai 1 Teishin Shudan) which had a strength of approximately 12,000 men.[1] IJA paratroopers were equipped with the Model 1941 helmet. ThereContinue reading “Japanese M41 Paratrooper*”

Polish Model 1915*

General Information: During the First World War the French equipped Polish volunteers with French equipment including Model 1915 Adrian style helmets. These were fitted with pressed metal badges following the pattern of French chasseurs units, but with a Polish eagle in the center of the disk rather than “RF.” A less common badge was largerContinue reading “Polish Model 1915*”