From Beaches to Jungles: a History of the M1 helmet

[@htolas]

When I first enlisted in 1978 in Singapore, I was issued with a version of this helmet. Apart from being heavy and often awkward, the fact that the front and rear of the helmets are not too different caused some recruits to wear them the wrong way round. When caught by instructors, these recruits would be asked if they had enlisted in the fire service, and then made to run round the parade square wearing the helmets the wrong way round, and making the sounds of a fire engine siren.

[@Nagtloper431]

Drill Instructors can be uncannily creative when it comes to the punishment of recruits 😛

[@anangryranger]

Yup. I wore the old steel pot in Vietnam, usually in our firebase when we were being rocketed or mortar rounds were being dropped on us. But in the field, it was a boonie hat. Interesting note; try and find an M1 helmet now. I think most were turned into scrap metal when the Kevlar models were introduced.

[@CAP198462]

🫡

[@dmhiix]

As a US Army MP serving in Korea in the mid eighties, we wore the M1 in the field until early 1986. We always wore the chin strap, which by that time actually cupped the chin rather than simply looping under it. For law enforcement duties in garrison, we wore an elaborated painted helmet liner with "MP" and our rank on the front, last name on the back, 8th Army symbol on the right side and our company number on the left. We had both shiny black and OD Green depending on the uniform of the day. They make excellent rain hats and were very useful during monsoon season.

[@ak9989]

Oh I have CVC and helmet since I spent 23 years in the army, still with desert sand on them. My son has his too, from Afghanistan.😂

[@thomasbeach905]

We had the M1 when I joined the USAF in 1986. At Camp Bullis, TX, where we did our initial combat training, they had stands with helmet-shaped holes where we could use our helmets as wash basins.

[@davidlane5349]

I always enjoy your videos. The fact that during World War II US soldiers didn’t buckle their helmet straps just contributed to the impression by the French population and others of the informality of the soldiers.

[@polygonalmasonary]

Always a thrill to get another video from you. I never realised hats could open up a road into learning history. Thank you 🙏♥️

[@TheProco2020]

These videos always remind me a little of “Fun with Flags;” from The Big Bang Theory, but I always watch them and learn something.

[@rwdyeriii]

I had read in Trevor Depuy's books several years ago that the US M1 helmet had been inspired by the Polish WZ 36 helmet and the Italian M33 and that several Polish soldiers had come to the US in 1940 and helped design the M1 using the previous mentioned helmets as patterns for the M1.

[@petesheppard1709]

Very well done! The US Marines used silver-painted helmet liners ('chrome domes') for recruits and officer candidates up through the mid-'70s, with the stated purpose of sun protection. US troops quickly dubbed the original PAGST helmets 'Fritz Helmets' for obvious reasons. 'Kevlars' was another popular term.

[@Riceball01]

The Kevlar helmets were sometimes called k-pots too because the old M1s were often called steel pots.

[@ronaldfazekas6492]

My dad entered the US Army in February, 1942--Surprisingly, even in basic training, he was issued the M1 helmet

[@briancisco1176]

I used one in Vietnam, 69-70, but much preferred wearing the liner alone when I could, since it was so much lighter.

[@helenvojtko9673]

Thank you for this fascinating video.

[@rynaburg6204]

Can you make a KZbin about Bonnie hat

[@masudashizue777]

I once had to wear the M1 helmet for a flag ceremony but only lasted half a day. The strain on the neck is considerable if you're not used to wearing helmets. I give the GIs credit for being able to wear it all day in battle.

[@mardiffv.8775]

Well during my days in the Dutch Army: a .50 cal gunner had lost his helmet, he asked a group of soldiers where his helmet was? 😄was their answer. Then he start feeling his head and his fingers touched a metal dome around his head.

[@MaxTSanches]

I find it interesting that the US Army call everything 'M1". When camping with a group I asked if anyone has a P38. The group were confused as to why I would need a world war II aircraft. No I was looking for a can opener. :)

[@plukovnik-skvelous]

Hello mister Hat historian, have you considered making a video about the cavalier/musketeer hat? I personally really like the 17th century fashion and I'm also a huge fan of your videos, so I'd be pretty interrested to see you explain the history of this flamboyant piece of headgear.

[@hathistorianjc]

Hmm... I hadn't thought of that one but I always note down potential ideas for future videos

[@EpicMasterF14]

I like how you put a hat in the background that will appear in a new video

[@magnificus8581]

Another fun video - thank you! We are visiting Normandy next week, we'll tip our hats if we see you!

[@ronsbeerreviewstools4361]

This is a very good post, as the subject of helmets are very interesting, I wore a M1 in the Vietnam war 1969, good helmet, but you couldnt run with it on, unless you wore it backwards, which was done many times when unexpected enemy mortars dropped. I subscribed, Cheers !

[@tessat338]

Oh! My brother served in the Granada conflict. I remember pouring over newspaper and magazine photos of US soldiers, searching for a sight of him. Of course, practically every solider looked pretty much the same, except for the soldiers who were clearly African Americans. The rest all looked kind of brown and grubby. In the same uniforms, with those helmets covering their buzz-cut heads, and all clean-shaven, it was next to impossible to distinguish one young twenty-something man from another. I could at least use rank and insignia to figure out which ones he wasn't, but I never did spot him. He made it home safely and is still around.

[@thurin84]

awesome! my favorite helmet! and i do not have too many of them, i can stop at any time! one of the 1st prototypes was made by cutting off the side and rear brims of an m1917 and welding pieces of steel to it in the shape of the m1s brim. you can see the m1917s dna in the m1 if you line up the front brims of the 2 helmets and compare the side profiles. one small correction, the low dome was introduced in 1951 when production resumed for the korean war.

[@barry9413]

Thank you, Sir for another informative topic. I wore that helmet in the Untied States Marine Corps from 1980 till 1984. 😃

[@Dziadzia-d6e]

When I was enlisted, I did miss the M1, which I used to put hot/warm water in to shave with. Couldn't do that with the Kevlar helmet. It also allowed me (personal observation), to hear better than the Kevlar helmet did. So, when stopping to listen for any activity, I had to remove the Kevlar to hear better.

[@Perfusionist01]

A nice capsule history of the M1 steel helmet. There are so many variations in details of construction, finishes, and internal suspension that several large books have been written and the M1 helmet has been a collector's item for some time. Good work!

[@johnc2438]

Wore one in Vietnam, from time to time, when needed. Was there for a year-and-a-half and ran all over the Mekong Delta for half my tour (assigned to the Seabees) and was assigned to Cam Ranh Bay for the second half (Operation Market Time).

[@brentleslie8156]

I still have my helmet liner that I wore as an MP from 81-83.

[@trikyy7238]

Not using the chin strap? ...Sgt Major Sixta has entered the chat.

[@ak9989]

I have my dad's ww2 usmc helmet still. I have pics of him on Okinawa wearing it. I now have 230 hats and helmets from 1520 to the present 😂. Ww1 ww1 vietnam😅

[@andreyradchenko8200]

While the outer shell could very well be descended from the M1917, its shape is much closer to the soviet M1940. I suspect that it, and not the British helmet, served as the primary inspiration.

[@laurentdevaux5617]

Very interesting and very well done as usual. A few precisions though if I may : indeed, the experimental number 5 helmet wasn't officially adopted, but it was used in combat on a small scale during the Argonne offensive in 1918 (original footages can be easily found) and by American troops sent in Russia in 1919. The blue color of the Navy helmets wasn't applied during the manufacturing process but after. ALL helmets given to the Navy left the production line in Olive Drab, and they were sometimes painted after at the entire will of the commanders, hence a huge variety of colors, from light grey to battleship grey and nearly every kind of blue shades. The helmet used in Korea was either the steel pot made during the war, either a new one differing only by very small details like detachable chinstraps and a so-called new liner, whose the only two differences with the wartime model were dark Olive Drab liner strap and the absence of the front ventilation hole, but in terms of comfort, there wasn't the slightest difference. It's only beginning in the late 50's that the liner was substancially modified (no more liner chinstrap, please !). Same for the shell, smaller as you told, but also with an ordinary steel outer brim, when it was in stainless steel till then. But anyway none of the version improved one of the biggest flaws of the US M1 helmet : it was notoriously instable on the head of its wearer. Congratulations anyway to our Hat Historian !

[@ReviveHF]

Suggestions : A brief history of Chinese official headgear from Tang Dynasty until Ming Dynasty

[@diane1979]

Oh Mr hat historian can you please do an episode on the trilby? because that's when I really want to see I really want to know the history about it if you can that would be great thanks

[@hathistorianjc]

noted

[@Emdee5632]

I was a conscript in the Dutch Royal Army, 1986-1987 (lichting 1986-3 😊). I also had the American M1 helmet, covered by a rough piece of camouflage cloth and a net keeping it in place. In fact I still have the helmet in my attic: I never received any letter by the ministry of defense at around the turn of the century when I was 35yo to return all the stuff. The cold war had ended almost a decade earlier. Almost a quarter of a century after 2000 I don't have much stuff left. However, I still have the helmet.

[@mardiffv.8775]

Then your helmet is probably covered with tan (sand color) burlap (jute overtrek)?

[@AlexKS1992]

Didn’t know the Dutch had mandatory military service.

[@Emdee5632]

@@mardiffv.8775 Inderdaad! De jongens van de infanterie kregen dacht ik een uitgebreidere camouflage. Ik moest met bruine en groene stiften of schoensmeer aan de gang, ik weet het niet precies meer.

[@Emdee5632]

@@AlexKS1992 We were in NATO during the entire cold war, and we still are in NATO.

[@mardiffv.8775]

@@AlexKS1992 Yes, up to 1995 there was mandatory mil service. But at the end of the cold war only 1 in 3 guys were called up. And that was unfair. Also the Dutch Army started to do peace mission, so voluntary soldiers were needed. You can not send draft soldiers to war zones. The navy and air force had each 10 % of the draftees, army had 80 %.

[@Beaguins]

I remember my dad wearing an M1 in the late '80s. We were stationed in West Germany and I remember him coming home from exercises looking pretty much like a WW2 soldier. It's possible the M1 was used just for exercises, or perhaps my dad wore it because he was medical and the new helmets were going to combat troops first.

[@mardiffv.8775]

The leather narrow strap is not for under your chin, but under the back of your skull/ top of your neck. To prevent your helmet from sliding in front of your eyes. Although that leather strap performed poorly.

[@BojackHorseman0098]

I find it funny how in movies soldiers are always wearing a helmet no matter what. Even when they are far from combat (for example in The Pacific a guy gets off a ship in Australia wearing a helmet) as comfortable as a baseball cap. Even modern kevlar "tactical helmets" are still heavy and uncomfortable for long periods of time.

[@michaelogden5958]

I live near an army base. When I was a kid (1960s), those helmets were widely available. I wore one around quite often. With the steel pot It was quite heavy.

[@The508ranger]

Jumped my Fathers OG M1C steel pot from 82nd ABN (1970s) into D Day 2014 for 70th Anniversary. Made two jumps, Jump-mastering the last one.

[@thomasholohan4090]

Yes. I had one. Fortunately, never had to test its protective qualities. It is an icon. Hving tried the Kevlar model, I would not say that it is lighter than the M1.

[@ERJones-fd6oh]

Can confirm it's a comfortable helmet

[@katestewart-taylor9736]

Could you do one on the development of the hunt cap? It has changed quite a bit from when I started wearing it in the mid 1960’s to now. Even the colors mean (ment?) something as did the position of the ribbons. Modern ones ditched the ribbon for rhinestones. A change for the worse in my opinion .

[@MidnightMoon2267]

Saw it on your last video (flight helmet vid) and wondered when you’ll be getting around to the M1.

[@katestewart-taylor9736]

Way cool you being from Normandy! One of my goals is to go to the American cemetery there. I have several relatives buried there. They were part of the Bedford Boys

[@hathistorianjc]

It is definitely worth seeing, and an extremely moving place.

[@thomasholohan4090]

@@hathistorianjc Completely agree!

[@57WillysCJ]

If I remember correctly my father said they added netting or pices of parachute to their helmets in the South Pacific because at times the helmet would be easily seen by enemy soldiers. Also of note about the weight some have said soldiers like roman soldiers had thicker neck muscles from the weight of their helmets. I do know it takes a while in the spring to get use to wearing a motorcycle helmet.

[@skipsmoyer4574]

And my pet peeve is in war movies actors only wearing the inner fiberglass shell. You can tell if you see a rivit on the side.

[@bikegames0]

Once again, another great video. Nice jacket too.

[@romainflorent8721]

first !

[@gerardoramoncesarreynaldo9469]

Great video! How about the paratrooper version? And how about a history on the US tanker helmet of WWII?

[@TheAyeAye1]

Interesting.

[@DonalORegan-h3k]

u should do a Team-up with The History Guy

[@hathistorianjc]

He's a bit more established than me, though I'd love to if he reached out to me!

[@philvanderlaan5942]

There is also the US navy telephone talker helmet that kinda looks like it’s 1 1/2 times too big , but I bet it’s to rare to do a full video on

[@TristanMorrow]

Ya got your *_Helmet, Steel, M1_* and got yer M1 rifle with the M1 bayonet and M1 ball ammo...

[@mostlychimp5715]

"Name ten pieces of US military kit." "The M1." "That's on me..."

[@MidnightMoon2267]

Originally the helmet chinstraps were sewn on. In 1950 the metal clamps where introduced and the last variant which you have was introduced around 1972.

[@luddite6239]

Très intéressant! What an ingenious design. I had one of these and also a British "Turtle" helmet from 1944. It's hard to believe they were both developed contemporaneously as the American helmet seemed so much more advanced.

[@jarvis69fr]

Il fallait vraiment avoir faim pour l'utiliser comme casserole , mais comme l'on dit '' A la guerre comme à la guerre '' 😊 Merci pour cette nouvelle vidéo très intéressante 👍

[@chefchaudard3580]

On s’en servait plus souvent pour vomir dedans…😊 J’ai jamais vu cuisiner dedans : ça aurait abîmé la peinture et l’acier. Et on avait des gamelles pour ça. Il était lourd et avait tendance à balloter quand on bougeait la tête. Pas pratique. Cette conception en deux parties n’apportait rien, que du poids inutile.

[@earnestwanderer2471]

Excellent, your videos are always interesting.

[@michaelbarbour1122]

At some point probably in the early '40's they issued a different liner to airbourne units which had a four point attachment for the chin strap that was either a leather "cup" or later split webbing (between which your point of your chin fit snugly into. The chinstrap from the pot (the metal outer) was interwoven through the four point webbing. Also there was an "occipital" strap at the back which further secured the assembly to your head quite effectively . I'm not sure exactly why but I suspect that this was done because the shock of the parachute opening likely caused many helmets to be lost during drops. Endearing terms such as "cranial covers" or everyones favorite "brain bucket" were replaced with the rather plain "K pot" when they issued the kevlar helmets. While much more effective at protecting one's "cranium", all of the other uses (cooking, bathing, digging, and the rare but effective use as a projectile for defence) that the M1 had, went away.

[@TomFynn]

That a part of a military helmet was inspired by a football helmet is probably the most American thing I've ever heard.

[@vonpfrentsch]

Great video, as usual. Thank you for the time you put into the research for telling us the real story behind the hats (and helmets).

[@dmcarpenter2470]

Speaking to the "explosion nearby with chinstrap on", there is a related "hat", the USN Mk II Talker Helmet. The talker helmet used the same steel blank as the M1 Helmet, but sat higher on the head, had a greater flare to the opening, and two integral cushions affixed, to allow the wearer to comfortably wear the headphones of a talker set. The chinstrap was a leather chinstrap, attached to the rim by thin bent wires. In the event the sailor was caught in a blast, which went into the helmet, the wires would straighten, detaching the chinstrap.

[@Castor586]

Never underestimate the power of a child holding a crayon. You can't tell me that the M32 grenade launcher or the Skywarden ground attack plane didn't see their origins from a crayon doodle!

[@simeondarke201]

Very similar in shape to the mediaeval salet, perhaps that may have been an influence on the design as the Brodie was influenced by the mediaeval English kettle helm

[@Dr.K.Wette_BE]

As interesting as usual ! 👍 Pourrait-on savoir l'origine de ta passion pour les couvre-chefs ?

[@SomeYank9]

I have one of these. I was surprised by how heavy it feels on your head and the net was annoying to put on, but it’s an interesting helmet.

[@DaveTheRred]

Love the videos, I always look forward to them.

[@richewilson6394]

Idk where my parents got these helmets but when we were kids we would wear them all the time to play in. They weren't the plastic ones Me and my brother had two of them I don't know where they are now they're probably in a dumpster by now.

[@skipsmoyer4574]

I still have my issued M1 helmet

[@cousinhub998]

Encore une super video, merci pour ton tarvail, vraiment !

[@kims.schinkel8212]

Excellent, of course.

[@KeiPalace]

love your channel!

[@korotan658]

Helmet video nice!

[@Ciborium]

Is it weird that modern US Army helmets very closely resemble the Stalhelm?

[@hathistorianjc]

Not really. It's a good design for what it does.

[@iainmulholland2025]

Will never understand why one army won't copy a better helmet from the enemy. If it gives better protection why not?

[@jfu5222]

I started my time in the army wearing the M1 and ended with the PASGT Kevlar. They weigh about the same but the M1 was more comfortable, the Kevlar is heavier in the back and continuously slid in that direction.

[@hathistorianjc]

Interesting, I would have imagined the PASGT would have been lighter... (I've obviously never worn one)

[@jfu5222]

@@hathistorianjc While today's ballistic helmets might be lighter than the M1, the original Kevlar was a thick beast!

[@ultrajd]

If you haven’t already, You should do a video on fire helmets.

[@hathistorianjc]

I'd like to. I need to get my hands on one to wear in the video

[@ultrajd]

@@hathistorianjc yeah they could be hard to come by. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any places that you would be able to get them for cheap. Aside from you know a child’s toy one

[@kidmohair8151]

nothing pertinent to add. just a tidbit for the algo-deities of the tube'y'all

[@notshapedforsportivetricks2912]

Why is almost every bit of american military kit called an M1?

[@hathistorianjc]

Here is a good explanation kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKqwhISpo8aFrqM

[@Wabaanimkii]

a hat channel!?!?!?