question US Helmet Cover Info

[MHillyard]

Had this for a while, anyone know any info on it e.g. Theatre and era

 

 

[gazzaw]

post vietnam era, from about 80s till new helmet issue early 2000s. I used them in Bragg during that time

 

gary

[earlymb]

This one is dated 1977, but the first contract ERDL camo pattern helmet cover was tested in 1969 in Vietnam. It wasn't issued in greater numbers untill after 1973, though. You can see them on pics made during the evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon in 1975.

 

As indicated above, it was issued from about 1975 until the M1 helmet was phased out; from about 1980 onwards together with a woodland camo pattern cover.

 

Greetz

 

David

Edited December 7, 2011 by earlymb

[gazzaw]

The ones we used in the 70s were lighter green, leaf flecked and not the woodland cammo which came out with the ripstop uniform at same time. These were maybe on issue but we never seen them in the airborne until the dates I mentioned. More like this cover below

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2011 by gazzaw

[earlymb]

The ones we used in the 70s were lighter green, leaf flecked and not the woodland cammo which came out with the ripstop uniform at same time. These were maybe on issue but we never seen them in the airborne until the dates I mentioned. More like this cover below

 

This is the Mitchell-pattern camo cover, in use from the late 1950's onwards. It was the standard cover in Vietnam and without any doubt was still in use with many units until de M1 helmet was replaced with kevlar pot. I think I still have around 50 of these covers, plus about 20 each of the ERDL and woodland covers in a box somewhere.

 

I'll do a pic of the 3 types of cover together next weekend, for reference.

[gazzaw]

Sounds good, to be honest never seen the woodland ones until the big NATO exercises in the 80s, if used earlier it must have been some leg units or marines as we had the one shown above on the stand.

[wdbikemad]

I had one of these covers years ago now in plain olive drab......never seen another since........

[earlymb]

I had one of these covers years ago now in plain olive drab......never seen another since........

 

There are some pics of US troops using those in the post-Korea period, but they seem to have been superseded quickley by the Mitchell-pattern covers.

 

The ERDL and woodland patterns are quite similar, so it may be a bit difficult to ID correctly. Woodland was developed from the ERDL pattern.

[Pavy8]

I had one of these covers years ago now in plain olive drab......never seen another since........

would you like another one? :-P

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Vietnam-Early-Olive-Drab-M1-Helmet-Camo-Cover-/370305216473?pt=AU_Militaria&hash=item5637e92fd9

 

on Ebay, in Australia

 

from the pictures I've seen, I would say the O.D covers were issued into the early 60's to NON-combat personnel. i could be completely wrong of course, ;-P

 

did a little searching. info says the all O.D. ones are 1950's production, seeing use in the early days on Vietnam with the Marines.

Edited December 7, 2011 by Pavy8

[earlymb]

Here is a line-up of covers:

 

 

The two on top are Mitchell-pattern; the one on the left is the earlier 'short finger' type (all fingers are the same lenght); most of these were modified by the users by cutting 2 slits for the helmet chinstraps. The one on the right is the later (ca. 1965 onwards) 'long finger' type, which has 2 deeper cuts on opposite sides for the shell's chinstraps.

 

The other ones are the ERDL-pattern (right) and Woodland-pattern (left). Some early Woodland ones are nearly the same as ERDL....

 

 

Better pic of the ERDL & Woodland camouflage.

 

Greetz

 

David