Airborne Helmets of the British Army | 1940 - 2016

Formed in 1940, the British Airborne are one of the most recognisable arms of the British Army. With this recognition not only comes the distinguished History of the Parachute Regiment, but also the distinctive, and unique, Paratrooper Helmets that have been specially made for the Regiment. In this video, I detail all the different and varied Helmets that have served the British Airborne forces, from 1940 right up to the Present day.
I also just want to say a massive thank you for all the support we have received lately on our videos and for the 1,000 subscribers!
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Music:
Long way to go by Miguel Johnson - Composer / migueljohnsonm. .
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[@Ks-zv6js]

This channel is brilliant we all continue to support what u do best quality

[@stevenwinnen9104]

Thanks for the information. I belong to a WWII Brit/scottish unit. (KOSB). We are very respectful to those that Served and wish to learn as much about those who served and their equipment.

[@Chris-rs6ic]

My Grandad and his brother were in the Airborne and my other Grandad worked in the Sorbo rubber works through WW2. That's really interesting to think that one may have had a part in making the helmet for the other.

[@danielf1313]

Another fine video-thank you for uploading!

[@SNAFUDOCS]

Ben, you are the best

[@blacksquidgaming]

Your channel is such an amazing resource

[@dannyw9868]

Informative, thank you

[@markbagnall7445]

Used the steel para helmet in the 70s... The leather band inside used to get wet with sweat and when it dried out, it became like a vice around your head. Should have changed it earlier; Looked good though.

[@krishm16]

I love the scrim net look. So badass.

[@karood-dog3584]

Another informative video thanks.

[@JohnDoe-kd5hq]

Great video long live the empire 🇨🇦💪🏻🇬🇧

[@shawntyrrell5473]

Great videos...Like you I like military history. Know here in the US. So thank you for these videos. Now can learn about the British Army. Keep it up..

[@keithwalker3460]

i love you chap holding the helmets , a wyvern on his polo . i was in the 2nd BT wessex 87 to 91 winchester

[@richardbaxter2057]

Yet another cracking video and this time on that most iconic of all British Helmets! Loved this video and it’s just as good as your previous “British Army Helmet” vid, although I might add here that Israel made good use of old “war stocks” of the WW2 Issue Helmet, when equipping and setting up their own Para Units (possibly the only foreign army to do so) and you could have mentioned that in the vid? All the best and keep going with the vids! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@KingTiger10588]

Good stuff 👍

[@allyreneepenny9447]

Very great this video 👍❗

[@waynenash9576]

LEGENDS

[@galexeqe]

0:54 Cheers for this, I've been looking for a photo like this for a while now and thought it was only in my imagination as could only find something similar from the Indian Military The Rebel Commandos on Endor in ROTJ wore helmets similar to this and thought the producers modeled the helmet off a British Paratrooper helmet, seemed reasonable as most military pieces like helmets and weaponry were made from actual military equipment but I couldn't find any photos to support my theory

[@seniorscouse3346]

My uncle was in the paras in the gulf war and my grandad was in ww2 and im now in the marines and even tho im not a para i still were a paras badge on my chest from my grandads ww2 uniform im happy you made this so you could tell people about the paras

[@paulmcmellon2500]

You are indeed waffling. Firstly no para unit served in the gulf war. 1 & 3 PARA were in NI at the time and 2 PARA didn't go as it's not a mechanised or armoured infantry battalion and it wouldn't have deployed without 5 Airborne Brigade anyway. Secondly, RM would not allow you to wear any type of badge on your chest unless you earned it. It's against regulations. Unless of course you wore it whilst wearing 'civvies'.

[@seniorscouse3346]

@@paulmcmellon2500 i ment civvies senior i wear it on just normal tops or footy tops

[@seniorscouse3346]

@@paulmcmellon2500 btw ment second gulf war he was 2 para

[@chardecombatprincipalfranc7917]

The British Airborne soldier who could speak fluently German meet a German Fallschirmjäger, hard to recognize which nationality they are from far distance, because the helmets are pretty much the same tho.

[@simonsignolet5632]

Ja, Ich bin ein Britische Fallschirmjager! I used to tell that to the Frauleins (West German) a lot in 1989... The helmets AREN'T the same, although the P Type helmet was based on a captured Fallschirmjager helmet (along with the original jump overall). In the 1970s, GSG9 used what looked like a Fallschirmjager helmet but our brother Paras in West Germany were wearing US style helmets in the late 1980s.

[@brittakriep2938]

Springfield : A note from Germany. Of course there could have been a british soldier, who could have spoken german language. But even he would have been able to speak german language fluently, a German would have noticed his british accent. There are two german movies of the 60s, in which Sir Christopher Lee spoke german, even he spoke german rsther good, a german can hear a slight british accent ( i did not recognize the actor at once, and was astonished why a german actor speaks sounding british). Then even nowadays, most Germans speak no proper Standard German/Hochdeutsch, they either speak Standard German with a number of local tribal dialect words or mix of Standard German and local tribal dialect. And in rural areas you can still hear people speaking in dialect, especially farmers or old persons. In the time of WWll nearly nobody spoke Standard German, perhaps upper class people, busines men, important politicans or officals and actors. From average Germans only the people in the Hannover region spoke rather similar to proper Standard German. So i think a German of WWll days would have noticed , when a person speaks Standard German with british accent but no german tribal dialect influenced sound.

[@simonsignolet5632]

@@brittakriep2938 You'd DEFINITELY not mistake me as being German. I speak several languages terribly. But in WWII there WERE British Paras who spoke German fluently and with a German accent. Read up on 21st Independent Company (Pathfinders), Para Regt. Some were Germans fighting the Nazis.

[@brittakriep2938]

@@simonsignolet5632 : I noticed, that you are no german: It is Fallschirmjäger, not Fallschirmjager. For grammar reason it is ein Britischer Fallschirmjäger, not Britische Fallschirmjäger, this would be plural, where ein impossible. Also Fräulein ( unmarried woman) disappeared from offical documents in the 70s and is no more common , or better unwanted. In the 70s feminist groups asked: Why is an unmarried woman a Fräulein ( little woman) , but an unmarried man no Männlein ( little man)? For the same reason some years ago also Mademoiselle is no more allowed in offical french documents. Today Fräulein is only used by old men. I , Brittas boyfriend , 55, use Fräulein only , when i don' t know the age of a young woman. To say du to a unknown person over 16 is against courtesy, and using the formal Sie to unknown persons under 16 is stange, so i use Fräulein only, when i don't be sure if du or Sie is correct.

[@simonsignolet5632]

@@brittakriep2938 LOL I haven't the characters on my keyboard to type Fallschirmjager correctly. I apologise to the people of West Germany for my appalling German language ability. I love French and German but murder languages because I haven't practised since the 1970s! I'm trying Russian next - things can't get much worse, politically, anyway. All said, when people speak English badly, I don't mind if it's not their mother tongue - respect to them for trying. But when they're English, I get very angry. I meet so many people from foreign lands on the internet who speak, read and write English so much better than some of our own citizens. Some people (called "chavs") I often cannot understand.

[@Sorrywhytescaresu]

God bless the brave people that have worn these helmets in defense of freedom, and to the many more who will follow and take up the Noble fight!

[@Tremulousnut]

The idea was that you would ditch or swap the helmets after landing, but a lot of people didn't do that. After a series of scandals where people were hurt or killed wearing the para helmet they started replacing the old shell material with aramid. A point to note that that ballistic para helmets have been offered commercially for a while, much like the AC900 shell, and only later adopted by the military.

[@simonsignolet5632]

We had the ballistic helmets in stores but the storeman had strict instructions only to issue them for war fighting only. That would have been early 1990s, at the latest.

[@mickwful]

One of the reasons were wore the infantry helmet in NI was because it was difficult to wear a gas mask with the airborne helmet.

[@anglerfish1001]

I have my dad’s steel helmet marked 1965 on the leather band inside. Would this be a MK2 helmet?

[@jimomaha7809]

P type helmet was, in a few instances, also used at Arnhem. A P type helmet was dugup several years ago near Oosterbeek. Also a few photographs exist were it shown being worn. The reason the leather strap on the mark I was replaced it got damaged more easily under harsh conditions.. There are photographs show that the MKII are being worn by 6th airborne in Normandy. Actually for years many collectors reanactors believed the MKII was not worn by 1st airborne. Although some welknown photos showed it being worn. I actually got a webbing helmet strap from a person in Oosterbeek who had this strap found in his attic.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

When we used the para helmet in 3 Para in the 90's it was left on the drop zone and the MK6 helmet was used in live firing, the Para helmet was light and comfy but not bullet proof.

[@pubgdaly8053]

Hey I am trying to make my helmet as accurate what is the rubber on the bottom of the helmet that goes over the cover

[@snowflakemelter1172]

@@pubgdaly8053 piece of NBC suit glove.

[@paulscousedownie]

Brings back memories when I served with 16 independent parachute brigade in the 1970’s. The standard British military helmet were bloody awful. I noticed the latest US airborne parachute helmets look more like the Germany fallschimjager helmets of WW2

[@simonsignolet5632]

The US PASGT. I thought the US had great kit until I saw what the 82nd AB guys had. TWO point chinstrap...

[@xxyxnxwxaxx9724]

Brilliant, this sounds stupid but as soon as I seen this video I was made up. I was like Brill I'm not the only sad git who's intrested in helmets especially the British para helmet. The airborne helmet is ally.

[@fireteamdelta9108]

Please do standard equipment like riffles and grenades

[@sophiemac1632]

I have some questions about the helmets during the Falklands War. Was the Kevlar M76 used too, or just the fibre glass one? Do they look different, or is it just the material? Were both the web and leather chin straps used in the FW, or just the leather? Thanks to anyone that can help.

[@Ks-zv6js]

I’ve got an m76 helmet with hsat mk2 strap

[@joelbilly1355]

In northern ireland I never saw a soldier not wearing a helmet or carrying an SA80 . Kinda worrying because a lot of them were 17-19, and remember this is still britain and we were supposed to be british citizens. I kinda miss the big chinooks that came back and forth maybe twice a day. Used to buzz the rooftops of our home in the middle of the night at times. Big wessex helicopters and lnyx ones too. Used to be able to watch them training boarding and departing helicopters from the local garlic pitch firing squibs. Was back in the old town the old barracks that was there from the time of William of orange is gone along with the land they took over the old monastery and burnt the town down. It was shocking how large the base was and how central it was to the town, was litteraly half the town. They built new schools, new police station, a new park, new bridges and a road across the river. The territory was huge.

[@fredfoster692]

I have a M76 helmet which was my dads. He was a major in Coldstream until he was injured in Iraq 2003. Not sure why he had an airborne helmet either because he preferred them or because he had to do parachute training

[@scruff921]

May this channel and all our comments live for more , not just turn in to 0111001 dust that is the KZbin comment section

[@sambeach2726]

A few years ago I saw a mini series about a famous WWII SOE operative who is parachuted into France. When she lands she is wearing a standard MK 2 helmet, which I’m sure parachutists would not wear, but instead maybe a sorbo or similar. The shows wardrobe people had not bothered doing their homework on what the correct headwear would be. It bugged me.

[@alonzocalvillo6702]

Looks pretty similar to the fallshirmjager helmet.who copied who?

[@madjackchurchill2705]

Britain Copied the Fallschirmjäger, we modelled our training after theirs

[@jugganaut33]

William Edwards and the fallshrimjager were based off russian counterparts.

[@anon4932]

@@jugganaut33 Who were probably modelled after the Italians.

[@jugganaut33]

The Rock From Brockton: unfortunately not. It was really the Russians who paved the Airborne operations idea. After all they have 35,000 miles of Border to defend against multiple people who hated them then and still hate them now. It was because of this scale that airborne operations were so appealing to them. Then in I believe early 1930 they did the first Brigade level demonstration (2,000 men) Which made Germany and Italy see its effectiveness and steal the idea. The Russians still have the largest airborne strength in the world. It’s not something or a legacy They’re going to forget.

[@simonsignolet5632]

@@madjackchurchill2705 Two items of kit, the principle in Blitzkrieg and the ethos but not the training. I hope they still teach General Student's "10 Commandments Of Airborne Warfare as I learnerd it in the 1980s - or is it too unPC?

[@seumasnatuaighe]

How do you recognize a Brit paratrooper? Norwegian shirt, German boots, US poncho and a Reynolds bike chain.

[@simonsignolet5632]

LOL!!! I left service in the 1990s - but STILL have all that kit! We actually prefered the Aussie shelter sheet to the US woodland poncho, but it was a close second. I still use my Vietnam war Aussie "hootch" for bushcraft and have a US ACU poncho for the same - we were NEVER allowed to wear ponchos.

[@timothyphillips5043]

Be quiet you fool Seumas

[@raphuscucullatus7845]

This is very irrelevant , but did they use the Mk. III, Mk. IV, or Mk. V helmets in Cyprus?

[@livethforevermore]

That is correct, although the Mk.III not so much. It was mainly the IV and V during the Cyprus Emergency.

[@thomashaynes9727]

👍

[@thomashaynes9727]

AIRBORNE

[@CP-ne5nf]

Is there any history behind why Airborne soldiers wear netting around their helmet? I understand it is probably for camo purposes, but in these modern times the netting seems to be almost exclusive to Airborne trained soldiers, and 'normal' soldiers using other methods... as far as I can tell.

[@EthanThomson]

i think its more tradition that the paras use netting but everyone else uses scrim covers

[@Fallschirmjager112]

During WW2, the fallschimjager (German Paratroopers) had a very similar helmet. So to look different to the enemy, British paras used scrim (netted scarf that we still use today) was put on the helmets. Also, like the point above, helps with camouflage etc And the tradition of scrimmed helmets lives on today by the men serving in the regiment 2 Para, still serving

[@CymruEmergencyResponder]

British Helmets can still have netting fitted. My fathers did in Afghanistan.

[@ares6294]

It just looks ally mate.

[@CP-ne5nf]

MattyR 1 cant argue with that.. allyness saves lives 😂

[@brabo73]

5.20 not kevlar but ballistic nylon. The MK7 is Kevlar.

[@rich8305]

Zsuperb video as always. Without being political; the British army seem so real,and truly fearless compared with the arrogant, pro- German army videos...

[@doug6500]

Because those 'Wehrmacht' videos are largely watched by neo-Nazi fantasists who get hard ons from thinking about an army that basically wanted a war noone else wanted and salivating over the inevitable early victories it achieved. The British Army was a citizen army that had to be RAPIDLY expanded from it's tiny professinal core in the space of less than a year all the while on the strategic and tactical back foot. The German Army was gearing up for all out war from as early as 1933 with an Officer cadre druelling over the thought of a WW1 rematch (Guderian, Rommel, etc). I don't buy into Nazism being the sole root cause of it all because it was allowed to rise by an army/military dreaming of righting the perceived wrongs and lost honour of WW1 while nations like Britain were trying to emerge into liberal democracy's and abhorred the idea of another conflict on the scale of WW1.

[@thetribe4893]

I really want tojoin the paras as an officer. Any tips?

[@thetribe4893]

@Oliver O’Donovan Yeah i knew that, I was more concerned about p company. Do officers do it with the other men?

[@thetribe4893]

@Oliver O’Donovan Do they have to perform better then the other candidates?

[@thetribe4893]

@Oliver O’Donovan Oh. If they pass training do they command a platoon of new recruits?

[@simonsignolet5632]

Direct entry Para Regt officers do an All Arms P Coy and have to out-perform the O/Rs. They have to show leadership throughout. If they pass and go to battalion, they won't be in charge of a platoon of new recruits. "Do officers do it with the other men?" I should hope not, but that sort of thing's legal these days... If that's your "thing" and you want to make new friends just break the law then drop your soap in the prison showers... ;-) As a teenager, I wanted to be an officer in the Paras but thought I'd work my way up the ranks, instead of joining as an officer. Glad of it - and when I knew what's what, I realised that being commissioned was not something I'd have liked. Because of how Airborne Forces function, leadership is taught and encouraged amongst even the lowest ranks. Reason: KIAs/casualty rates are disproportionately HIGH amongst the officers and senior NCOs. In airborne operations, a private might initially lead a section and there might not be an officer to lead a platoon strength unit, especialy on a hot DZ. In the infantry, every man/woman should be able to think for themselves - but in Airborne Forces, this is an ESSENTIAL requirement.

[@CheckMySix]

2:28 Could easily be mistaken for Fallschirmjäger, the helmets and Jump smock are almost identical. Both being exceptional elite soldiers who had a great respect for each other with the Brits referring to the Fallschirmjäger as "The Green Devils" and the Germans likewise referring to the Para's as "The Red Devils" respectively.

[@simonsignolet5632]

Brit Paras have never called the German Paras "Green Devils", I don't know from where you got that. I think that's what German forces nick-named them, corresponding to the "Die Rotes Teufel" they called Brit ABF.

[@CheckMySix]

@@simonsignolet5632 The Allied forces who faced them collectively would sometimes refer to them as "Green Devils" I said the "Brits" meaning all branches of the U.K forces including BUT not exclusively the Para's

[@simonsignolet5632]

@@CheckMySix I've known wartime Paras and non-Paras and none of them have even heard of the term "Green Devil". WHY would any Allied personnel call them that, anyway? I'm certain it's a German military term. The Germans called the 1st Para Bde the "Red Devils" then applied the "Green Devils" to refer to their own Paras, as I understand it. Years later after the war, some veterans, especially US (who like nicknames), might have retrospectively used the term. The ONLY times I've encountered the term is in titles of books and documentaries. Can anyone shed any more light on this?

[@cptharky552]

War is paid with the biggest prices and given the smaller rewards

[@braz123gamingyt6]

Just a quick question, are you in the army or something?

[@livethforevermore]

Nope, just a Military Historian keeping the memory and legacy of the British Army alive

[@simonsignolet5632]

Would "something" be the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force. I'm sure they'd be flattered... '-)

[@brianthao102]

Brilliant video, but the music makes it feel like I'm watching something sad

[@quarterjukebox208]

Wow no ballistic protection is ridiculous.

[@xxyxnxwxaxx9724]

Even a modern day virtus helmet wouldnt stop a sniper's round. More shrapnel protection truth be known. Same in the early days

[@frogsgottalent1106]

The m76 is basically a bump helmet. Even basic fragmentation protection is like a motocycle helmet, worse than the oldrmetal lids . The British army has a long history r issuing junk to it’s troops.

[@SASMADBRUV7]

@@xxyxnxwxaxx9724 are there even any helmets that would stop a sniper round? (Officially anyway)

[@Tremulousnut]

@@frogsgottalent1106 No, the issue is more to do with troops doing whatever they want, thinking they will never catch a bullet. Officially para helmets were bump helmets, and you would swap these out once you hit the ground, which is where the MK6 helmet (and later 6A and 7) comes in. Para helmets were never meant to be used on the ground. The problem was that these para helmets were light, and for the sake of comfort troops began wearing them instead of the mandated helmets so casualties happened. It's the same problem as troops cutting up roll mats to use as inserts instead of the ballistic fillers because it's light. And to be fair, these days you still see people wear bump helmets with no ballistic protection, Gentex makes a killing selling their ops core carbon helmets.

[@frogsgottalent1106]

@@Tremulousnut I'm not 100% sure I know what you mean (?). The m76 ' Para ' helmet was used in the Falklands. Basically a ' bump ' helmet. The Mk6 issued to troops as a ' ballistic ' helmet, has virtually ZERO ballistic protection ( less than the old Steel helmets). The mk6A is better, but nothing to rave about. Are you saying the m76 was meant only for the jump, them to be swapped for a Mk5( steel) when on the ground ( Falklands) ? .

[@thoraneh7365]

The airborne helmets were way ahead of the infantry counterparts

[@user-vv7ir1pl4j]

Thoran EH noo way

[@davidcoleman2463]

I did not know that the helmets were so bad .

[@Tremulousnut]

The thing is they were never meant to be used on the ground, the problem was that for the sake of comfort troops were wearing them instead of the officially sanctioned helmets.

[@davidmoore6197]

Up the 43rd Wessex division !

[@johntompkins486]

Interesting - but a few errors, NEVER ever saw a Para wearing a 'standard' Infantry helmet in Falklands, but a lot of non - airborne personell tried to get hold of a para helmet. Also never seen a para helmet being used with mk 6 strap (with press stud) simply because it was not cleared for parachuting

[@livethforevermore]

There are reports that state the Marines and Paras in the Falklands used the standard issue Infantry Helmet, i.e. the Mk5, although, as I say in the video, this was not to the extent that was seen in Northern Ireland - I should've made it clearer in the video that it was exceptionally rare to see a Para wearing a Mk5 in the Falklands, but it did happen. Regarding the chinstrap - that also happened. Here are two examples: www.gostak.co.uk/composites/uk/2002_01010034.JPG www.warrelics.eu/forum/attachments/world-steel-helmets/1124415d1508689104-parachute-airborne-helmets-hsats-around-world-006.jpg One author writes that the change in strap was done by some "Paras as it was a much better chinstrap, was easier to open, close and adjust than the [original] issue strap."

[@johntompkins486]

Sorry but I must disagree - especially about helmets in Falklands. Don't know about attached arms and those para's who had been posted back into an airborne unit at very short notice, but no self respecting para from an infantry battalion would be seen dead in a 'crap hat' helmet. You are correct that in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was a requirement to wear the Mk 6, 6A & 7 (I think thats the correct title - you know more about it ) due to their better protection.

[@CymruEmergencyResponder]

John Tompkins they were worn. Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

[@johntompkins486]

NOT convinced at all. Were you there ?

[@CymruEmergencyResponder]

John Tompkins it doesn’t matter if you are convinced. People don’t do things in war just to convince you. Stranger things have happened too. I wasn’t there, by my family was.

[@garethfairclough8715]

I worked with the Paras back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I remember the "Para" helmet was pretty much removed from use by then, especially from operational theatres (Iraq, Afghanistan etc) as it wasn't good enough when it came to ballistic protection. Same deal wth the aftermarket "plate carriers". ECBA and the Mk6 (later Osprey and Mk6A/Mk7) were mandatory from about 2008, Paras or no. Any man who was caught trying to use take them out on tour with him was in for a bad, baaad time. EDIT No sooner do I type this, I watch the last minute or so of the vid and that very point gets mentioned. Doh!

[@Tremulousnut]

A lot of soldiers made very stupid decisions, therefore no nice things for everyone. The para helmets when they were implemented were never meant to be used on the ground, but for the sake of comfort people were wearing them and got hurt or killed. It's the same problem as people putting roll mats in their ECBA or Osprey.

[@DxvinderSingh1699]

British pathfinders use opscore maritimes

[@empereur_du_congoeddy-malo2286]

The first one look like the new indian helmet

[@Jrhoney]

"Steel Helmet Airbourne Troops" aka SHATs...

[@fabianpatrizio2865]

3:02 that's just the German helmut...copy cats :)

[@ragandoil]

brill , from a crap hat

[@ragandoil]

@low7782 got it in one , EOD for six years .. full blown remf

[@simonsignolet5632]

@@ragandoil I'm Airborne but I've a great respect for the ATOs of the RAOC and RLC. There are REMFs and REMFs - but dealing with an IED puts you at the tip of the spear on the front line. Everyone else is behind you - a LONG way behind you...

[@jennygore9833]

Failed marines so joined the army

[@simonsignolet5632]

I always laugh when I see maureens wearing para wings. The easiest way to earn them.

[@olengagallardo8551]

The vid is about military gear but the music is horrible,it doesn't match!