Beyond The Sprues

Modelling => Ideas & Inspiration => Land => Topic started by: ysi_maniac on January 23, 2016, 10:05:52 AM

Title: Tank crew helmet
Post by: ysi_maniac on January 23, 2016, 10:05:52 AM

AFAIK German and British tank crew, during WWII, did not wear protective helmets. Do you know why? Did Germans perform any study towards the end of WWII?

Title: Re: Tank crew helmet
Post by: Rickshaw on January 23, 2016, 10:52:25 AM

Quote from: ysi_maniac on January 23, 2016, 10:05:52 AM

AFAIK German and British tank crew, during WWII, did not wear protective helmets. Do you know why? Did Germans perform any study towards the end of WWII?

Early in the war, the German tank crew did wear a steel helmet but it was disguised with a cloth beret.  This went out of fashion in about 1942 when the uniform changed. 

The British tank crews didn't wear a helmet and suffered appreciably more casualties as a consequence.  Helmets for the RAC and it's Commonwealth affiliates didn't really come into service until the 1960s.

Title: Re: Tank crew helmet
Post by: GTX_Admin on January 24, 2016, 02:43:47 AM

See here (http://www.panzerworld.com/uniforms-heer-headgear) for some info

Title: Re: Tank crew helmet
Post by: apophenia on January 25, 2016, 09:15:30 AM

According to this page, the British Army did introduce a tank crew helmet near the end of the war.

http://www.rjmilitaria.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=744 (http://www.rjmilitaria.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=744)

At first glance, I thought it was just the Mk I Dispatch Rider Helmet but the liner is different. Compare:

http://www.rjmilitaria.com/catalog/images/large/mcgf2_lrg.jpg (http://www.rjmilitaria.com/catalog/images/large/mcgf2_lrg.jpg)
http://www.nyc-techwriters.com/militaria/british/british11a.htm (http://www.nyc-techwriters.com/militaria/british/british11a.htm)

Anyway, both dispatch and tanker helmets are obviously based on the Mk II para helmet.