The M1 Helmet

[@sibire8284]

Not to be confused with the M1 bayonet, flamethrower, Garand, carbine, flamethrower, light tank, chemical mine, mortar, Thompson, or bazooka.

[@FLJBeliever1776]

I thought that was the T1 Combat Car not the M1 Light Tank? Though there is the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, so it's still good.

[@sibire8284]

M1 Combat Car but yeah either works really. It's like the War Department was run by Gabe Newell.

[@sealpiercing8476]

US Army really shouldn't be allowed to name things... The other services have a somewhat better track record on that particular issue at least.

[@FLJBeliever1776]

@@sealpiercing8476 - Yeah, they began to realize that would be an issue when they decided to have the M2 Light Tank, M2 Medium Tank, M3 Light Tank, and M3 Medium Tank. Which is why there was no M4 Light Tank and only the M4 Medium Tank, which got tedious and so they started calling it the M4 General Sherman and eventually, at some point, someone had the bright idea to just say M4 Sherman. The M5 Light Tank did exist, which was a greatly improved M3 Light Tank. Both were called Stuart unfortunately, though they were still somewhat the same vehicle. Which is how the US Army went to the M24 Chaffee and M26 Patton in a hurry.

[@TheKencoffee]

@@FLJBeliever1776 I thought the Brits started the General Sherman bit.

[@mileskenne1212]

The History Guy makes the internet worthwhile.

[@JohnSmithShields]

Up there with the Lockpickinglawyer for me.

[@ryerye5855]

If he collaborated with Dr. Mark Felton it would be epic

[@perlofski]

soon he too will deserve... to be remembered

[@bobvogel9916]

@@JohnSmithShields And EngelsCoachShop for me.

[@Face2theScr33n]

This series of tubes is fantastic! I love the future! Does Ian at Forgotten Weapons get a mention? He sure does!

[@v.e.7236]

I personally witnessed the effectiveness of an M-1 helmet, while in Basic Training for the Army in '82. An odd ricochet, during a "live fire" exercise, brought an M-60 round in contact w/ my M-1 helmet, but hit at an angle, so it just rang my bell and startled the hell out of me. Never felt quite so lucky before. Wanted to keep the helmet as a souvenir and proof that actually happend, but the Army wasn't having any of that and took it back.

[@matthewmorrison9932]

Wore it on my motorcycle back in the day. The cop the pulled me over said “might not be dot approved but got my ass past nam carry on and slow it down”

[@MrLoobu]

Yea probably do more damage in a crash than if you had nothing lol, but I would still rather wear one through a crash than a headshot.

[@KageMinowara]

That cop was a cool guy.

[@DougsterCanada1]

The best kind of police encounter!

[@christianfreedom-seeker2025]

Cool story!

[@dukecraig2402]

Back in the 80's not long after I got out of the Army when Pennsylvania still had a helmet law and I started riding Harley's there was an old timer that was a Marine door gunner on a helicopter in Vietnam and he always wore his helmet from when he was a door gunner, it even still had the mike boom on it, one day a small group of us were riding along and the next thing you know there was a State Trooper behind us with his lights on, so of course not having enough alchohol in us yet to be interested in a high speed chase we pulled over and the Trooper walked straight up to Grizzley (that was his nickname and for good reason), he started to hassle Grizz about his helmet not being DOT approved and old Grizz look at him and said "Young man, this helmet worked perfectly fine for me in Vietnam, I don't understand why there's a problem with me wearing it now", that pretty much ended the conversation and we went about our merry way.

[@bullettube9863]

Talking with my niece just before her last deployment to Iraq I mentioned that we could boil water in our helmets and even once cooked a stew for a hot meal. She explained to me that although you can't boil water in the new helmets you don't have to as they had thermos bottles and the meals heat themselves. I suddenly felt very, very old.

[@chrissherer2047]

But can you dig in with it?

[@JohnDoe-fu6zt]

Can you boil washing water in it? Can you cook a non-MRE stew in it? Can you pound tent stakes or crack walnuts with it? Consarned whippersnappers... that new hat is just gonna scare the horses... why I recall me and Black Jack Pershing used to boil up a batch of lye soap in our steel pots while we was chasin' Pancho Villa across Chihuahua... usta churn butter in mine and use it for an inkwell...

[@unclejohnbulleit2671]

Your not alone buddy, your not alone.....

[@gordonjohnson405]

Iraq deployments are not the austere deployments of years past. But then again, the threat from insurgents there, or in Afghanistan, does not demand the mobility and hence austerity that a near-peer competitor - or even a non-peer - conventional Army would require.

[@DB-yj3qc]

As one that was a soldier that was issued starting with the M1 steel pot helmet to the Kevlar's "K-pot" replacement. The M1 and current one beats the Kevlar hands down for wearing. The Kevlar sucked.

[@russell28533]

Thanks for saying "earned the Silver Star" than "won the Silver Star". It's just a little thing, but to vets, it makes a difference.

[@bullettube9863]

russell28533: I agree, it wasn't a contest, you were just doing your job and your CO thought it was done better then normal!

[@ParkerUAS]

@@bullettube9863 , plus, for there to be a winner there is also a loser. Obviously, the other people serving alongside the recipient are not losers just because they to didn't receive the award.

[@Critisismsoldier999]

what about the phrasing "Was awarded" though?

[@ParkerUAS]

@@Critisismsoldier999 , I don't see an issue since the Silver Star is defined as "being awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States." The medals, service ribbons, and badges worn on a military uniform are collectively known as "Awards and Decorations".

[@1joshjosh1]

I won $100 at the casino. I earned the Silver Star in battle.

[@zach7193]

Just listening to the History Guy makes it so worthwhile.

[@jackseward7779]

As a helmet collector (212), I really appreciated this. Two minor additions: (1) the M1917A1 was first created in the 1930's from WWI British and U.S. helmet shells and (2) you showed female soldiers using M1's to cook which was strictly forbidden due to fears re steel tempering issues.

[@evancortez2]

When the Philippines fell in 1941, the US soldiers who became POWs wore 1917 helmets - they spent the next several years in Japanese prison camps and then when they were liberated by Macarthur's forces in 1945, they thought the rescuers were German because they were wearing this weird looking helmet

[@JohnDoe-fu6zt]

I saw a documentary where a civilian internee told the story of liberation, and said they were confused by the helmets and wondered if their liberators were Russian.

[@johnbockelie3899]

I remember the news paper article in the late 70's about the new Kevlar army helmet. " with its lower neck guard, and visor, the new helmet resembles the looks of the sinister Nazi helmet of WW2." My brother and I got a laugh out of that news article.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

@@johnbockelie3899 That bothered some of the troops too. Hence the overuse of scrim (cloth strips).

[@thanksfernuthin]

I went into the Air Force in the 80's. A sad and hilarious story was a friend of mine and his brother were rejected by the army because... their heads were too big for existing helmets! You should have seen the size of their heads. And the armed forces made it clear that they don't make specialized helmets for people who's heads don't fit standard issue. What an odd reason to be rejected.

[@randyphillips2263]

I now wonder if I would have been rejected cause of my head size. Very hard to find a proper fitting hat or motorcycle helmet.

[@thanksfernuthin]

@@randyphillips2263 Yeah. You must be a big guy. I'm 6'3" and these guys were a bit taller but as I said, excelled in the head size department. Being a big guy isn't all roses and sunshine. But it mostly is!

[@randyphillips2263]

@@thanksfernuthin I am not all that tall but my head got squashed down when I was 10 years old. Accident that almost killed me.

[@chiswsuburbs6523]

On my trip to the Chicago AFEES, with a friend we both scored in the high 90% and were told we could pick any place and position...until the physical..we were both rejected. Me for having the family gift of psoriasis, and him for having....sweaty feet.....

[@samprastherabbit]

Wow, that basically leaves no service branch open to them, unless they've got a really niche position somewhere. Crazy! I guess it's like some airforces not recruiting people over a certain height!

[@TheWalterKurtz]

Wore one '80-'83 as an 11B10 infantryman. Never saw anybody look so good in a suit and steel pot, History Guy.

[@FolkFan023]

I still have the one I was issued in 1979. Never used it for cooking but it still has a ring of shave cream residue around the inside. Made a decent pillow also when you had the opportunity to grab a quick power nap. Also protected your head when you were being bounced around the inside of an M113.

[@GoodmanMIke59]

I sailed in the Merchant Marine in the mid-80s with men who would sailed in World War II. Still, I have a soft spot in my heart for those who defended Liberty, be it on the sea, on the ground or in the air. Very good episode.

[@2ndarmoredhellonwheels106]

Always remember that you merchant marine sailors were just as important as the guys on the ground fighting. You brought the supplies they needed so desperately. The bullets,food hell even the blankets were brought by the liberty ships. So on behalf of my relatives who fought in ww2 thank you sir.

[@2ndarmoredhellonwheels106]

Oh I caught where you sailed in the 80s, yall brought our stuff during 1st gulf war too so on my personal behalf again thanks

[@joekurtz8303]

Our grand uncle Fritz served in M.M. in north Atlantic. Sunk departing Mermansk listed MIA,& drifted in lifeboat & landed in northern Ireland, continuing to serve until Victory. I have his M1 helmet he gave my G- pa, after the war did very interesting things, Retired to Coronado Ca to live out his days,, Francis( Fritz) Perret.

[@comm2531]

I sailed on the Maritime Preposition Ships with Bendix. Not as a Merchant Marine. I served in the Marine Corps. I was in Diego, Guam and the Atlantic. 5 years.

[@patricksedler9697]

Wow cool! My great grandpa was a navy pilot on the uss essex during WWII. I had a few great g-pas that served in korea too. And my grandpa that was a marine in veitnam. So from me and probably them, thank you for your service!

[@johnfritz7222]

Have been dealing with depression lately and just want to thank you for making these videos as they make me smile at a time I have a hard time finding to recently. You're an amazing person and appreciate you sharing your love for what's interesting to you and millions of others, keep on rocking

[@gerryswift6888]

Hang in there,there are lots of us like you who are having trouble.Someone cares.

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

Depression and other emotional conditions are like the weather. When the rain is coming down, pretend otherwise as much as you like you're gonna get wet. The feelings are utterly and completely real and must be acknowledged. When your arm is broke, you go to an orthopedist and have it set. Where do you go when your spirit is broke? There are mental health professionals that can help and social programs available to get you connected with one. Best of luck to you!

[@htolas]

I was issued what was essentially an M1 helmet during most of my National Service in Singapore; sized for larger US soldiers, many of us had to modify the inner liner by stuffing sponges the webbing and the shell to help stabilise them. We were mostly glad to get the Kevlar helmets issued later.

[@ToyInsanity]

Finally someone thoroughly explores the M1 helmet!!!

[@johnstevenson9956]

I get the idea the "History Guy" could talk about paint drying and still make it fascinating.

[@H-Man1]

I can hear it now. "Today, we think of paint drying as something very dull. We even say, "it's like watching paint dry." But actually, the history of paint drying is quite the opposite..."

[@fewtoes]

When I was issued an M1 helmet in basic in "78, I put it on and my head tilted from the weight. Fast forward to '81, guarding the east/west German border in the 2nd CAV. I wore that helmet daily, so much that one time in the field I spent 20 minutes looking for my "pot". Didn't realize it was on my head!

[@huntclanhunt9697]

They're lighter than the kevlar ones! I own both and I would happily wear the M1 all day, but not the PASGT.

[@FuzzyMarineVet]

Thanks, Lance. I wore an M1 helmet in the 1970's. It's nice to know how they came to be.

[@seatedliberty]

I'm a physician, and I am certifying your enthusiasm for history as infectious. No cure is available or desired.

[@seatedliberty]

@Dave A. I'm board certified in Family Practice.

[@tonyk1584]

Army 1967 - 1971. Boy this brings back a lot of memories. They took most of my gear when I mustered out except for my field jacket which I "pretended" to throw in the bin and snuck home. Of course the helmet and plastic liner were the property of the Army but I recall the web liner was given to us. It was adjustable to fit my head and sweaty from physical exertions and had my last name and service number written on the band. My mother always said I would lose my head if it wasn't glued on. I just looked and I can't find the web liner so I guess she was right.

[@thurin84]

well, that explains why we find so many of the ones with detachable webbing with no webbing in them. thanks for sharing this. it answers a helmet nerd question for a helmet nerd.

[@slowturtle6745]

As a child every kid on the block had an old helmet for playing soldier, it's odd to think that those are collectors items now when war surplus was so common back then.

[@slowturtle6745]

@hiram hacklesworth As a rule yes but the steel pots were readily available but just too heavy for playing soldier. Sometimes I wonder what became of these things of youth that there used to be abundance of.

[@HistoryandWhiskey]

I still have my two steel pots from being a kid. Had them for about 30 years now.

[@Kdschaak]

We had those helmet liners when we were kids too! This would have been mid 70s. I had one that I think my Uncle gave me when he returned from Vietnam. He brought back several cases of those rations as well. I loved those. I can still remember that cigarette smell when you cracked them open.

[@slowturtle6745]

@hiram hacklesworth A friend bought a Colt1911 surplus...$19.95.

[@thurin84]

i remember when i 1st started collecting in the mid 70s a local army surplus store had 2 big bins; helmets for $4 and liners for $1. wish id have loaded up back then lol.

[@bobw222]

My uncle served in North Africa and Italy during WWII. His comment about the helmet: "You crapped in it at night in your fox hole, dumped it out over the edge, and cooked your breakfast in it in the morning." I'm assuming it was scrubbed out with sand or water before the cooking...

[@matthewk6731]

Hmmm. How about crap into your shovel and throw it over the edge? Crap into anything else other than your helmet. Ugh.

[@dorightal4965]

@@matthewk6731 The height of stupidity all the days of my 22 yrs active service was to crap in your mess kit. The steel pot may have been considered part of ones mess kit, I guess.

[@magnatron7734]

Guess that where the term “sh$& for brains” came from lol

[@jimtownsend7899]

Just Thinkin Don't know if it would have made a difference. Chow and crap were pretty much the same.

[@MrChickennugget360]

@@jimtownsend7899 from a certain point of view

[@gamiezion]

half the history guys library: still more legit history then all of the history channels library put together (unaired programs included).

[@wolfvale7863]

Shows like Ancient Aliens, Amish Mafia, Storage Wars. History Channnel and history have very little in common.

[@procambarusclarkii]

@@wolfvale7863 That's not even mentioning the whole people buying other people's old crap genre that's all the rage right now.

[@UnlicensedOkie]

I will say this about the history channel Yeah the majority is crap, but when they do make a history channel documentary, it’s usually really good The two part documentary “the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” is one of my favorite documentaries

[@sparky6086]

Often used it as a basin for shaving, when I was in the Army.

[@sixstringedthing]

For bonus points, give the number of war movies where this is seen. For extra golden bonus points, name them. 😉

[@beckster181]

@@sixstringedthing just about every war movie on the second world war but especially remember in Kelly's heroes and oddballs group using them for washing shaving and cooking LOL

[@ftdefiance1]

Same here.

[@markdurham5062]

Same here

[@Jakaleel]

Hung it on the tow pintle of the M113. Perfect for a field bird bath.

[@danepcarver4951]

In the 70s at USMC Parris Island Recruit Training Depot, the helmet liner was painted silver and worn to protect the recruit from the heat. It was called a "Chrome Dome". Of course during combat training, it was mated to the steel pot with camouflage cloth covering.

[@SpyGeorgilis]

Hello from Greece. This helmet is still in wide use here. It's been officially replaced, but other than some border units, just about everyone still has "the cooking pot", as it is often called--certainly NOT affectionately. It was the only available helmet in my time in the army, in the early '00s. Some may remember it fondly, but I'm not one of them. When worn bare (without a cover), the steel got incredibly hot in the summer. In winter it became a very efficient heat sink, freezing our heads. The straps may have been better than the 1917A1, but they allowed the helmet to tip forward when shooting, covering the sights (probably not a problem with AR-type guns and others with a raised sight picture, we had the HK G3). The solution was to keep your head at a specific distance from the sights, so that the helmet's brim would land on the rear sight (it was wide front-to-rear) rather than in front or behind it. In a quiet range, the system worked, sort of (with some guns it meant your cheeks were getting slapped by the rear trunion, giving you a nice bruise)--in battle? I'm glad I didn't find out. I find it interesting that in all Vietnam pictures the straps are out of the way, front (liner) and rear (helmet). That means you'd lose the helmet at the first sign of trouble--probably not a bad idea.

[@SpyGeorgilis]

@ ?? I don't understand how this has anything to do with my post, but greetings nonetheless.

[@greg6235]

@ Too ignorant to understand we are a REPUBLIC, and we elect a President by State? Trump won 30 states to Hillary's 20; Trump won 2,626 counties to Hillary's 487; Trump thus won 304 Electoral College votes to Hillary's 227. Election by popular vote would mean only a few states, the most populous ones, would need to be campaigned in, and won. (case in point, New York and California) All other states would be ignored. Same as Senators, every state has two, no matter what their size or population, so all states have equal representation. Try a civics class after you earn your GED.

[@13thBear]

I got my first "liner" as a kid to play army. I bought it at a large Army- Navy surplus store in Detroit on Grand River Avenue that had a surplus M-42 "Duster" twin 40 mm. Anti-aircraft guns across the street as advertising and landmark. Still have that old helmet liner out in my garage, so it's more than 50-55 years old by now. I wore the Army issue M-1 for 9 years from 1970-1979. I served in Viet Nam as a mortar man and right up to the day I left the Army as an instructor at Ft. Knox, Ky., I still have my combat pot along with some web gear from that time. Remembering all this makes me wistful for my youth, a long time in my past now. Thanks, History Guy, for the trips down Memory Lane.

[@13thBear]

Thomas Foley Yep, you get it. Somebody failed to secure their equipment, so I did the only reasonable thing- I secured it to make sure it never got lost or stolen, but, unfortunately, nobody ever claimed their missing gear, so I acquired a second set- one set for field wear and one set for "inspection" purposes. Funny how that works out. :D Thinking about it- that unsecured gear might have been left behind by an AWOL soldier that never came back. It happened quite a few times back then. A young soldier goes on leave or week-end pass and never returns. Too bad, so sad.

[@mtnvalley9298]

You are SO good at what you do! Thanks History Guy!

[@ThatGuy-ot9uv]

I wore those in Basic Training in 1984, and while infantry units were issued the kevlar helmets earlier in the 80s, I was in the Signal Corp and the M1 helmets were part of our TA50 issue even up to 1985.

[@VosperCDN]

Such an iconic piece of military kit. We wore those, in the Canadian Army, for a much longer time - late into the 90's, almost my entire career. I only got issued our new one a few years before retiring. Wish I could have kept the old M1, for nostalgia.

[@Koala1203]

South Korean military still use the M1 helmet even to this day. Looks like they don't want to let go of that iconic piece of military kit.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

@@Koala1203 Mostly for rear echelon or reserve troops, although they use a version made out of ballistic nylon called the M80. The bulk of frontline troops transitioned to The KHB2000 PASGT-style helmet in the early 2000s.

[@justanothercaptain6566]

That was the first helmet I was issued when I joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1986. As I was Armoured I only wore it on my basic course and when I was in the butts on the rifle range. But it was hands down the best wash basin I ever had! We would take the liner out and hang it from a tree branch or latch off our vehicles and “vola”! You could wash up! When we got issued our Kevlar helmets in the 90s, we had to start carrying wash basins. And you couldn’t hang those up. So to this day, I miss my M-1 wash basin! 😀👍

[@itsapittie]

@@johnanon6938 I'm not sure how many, but it was a lot. I suspect some countries are still using them, particularly in Latin America where so much military assistance went.

[@DaveGIS123]

The Canadian parachutist version of the helmet had a rubber pad at the back of the liner, and two chin straps. I still have mine.

[@chefchaudard3580]

I had one here in France in 1980. It was used mainly as a barf bucket. It was heavy and cumbersome. With the camouflage plastic salad on, we looked like proper warriors, though.

[@ElliotNesterman]

The reason that The Metropolitan Museum of Art was tasked with the development of a prototype M1 helmet was that the Arms and Armor dept has a complete Medieval armor shop next tow its basement store rooms, and at the time the Met's armorers were still proficient at producing steel armor. Up through the 1950s if the museum acquired a suit of armor missing a piece or two the armorers would make reproductions so the entire armor could be displayed, with the information card noting "Left Gauntlet Reproduction" or similar. Starting in the 1960s curatorial practice altered so that whole pieces would not be recreated, simply displaying an incomplete armor as pieces rather than creating a reproduction piece. Today the armorers polish pieces when needed and do other simple maintenance, like making replacement copper rivets and leather strapping. Hanging on the wall in the offices of the Arms and Armor department is a framed series of photographs documenting the creation of the M-1 prototype, from billet of steel to finished helmet. Here's an informative blog post by Donald LaRocca, the Met's curator of Arms and Armor, about the museum's role in the development of US Army helmets. Towards the bottom is a photo of the Met's armorer working on a later prototype in 1945. www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2014/bashford-dean-and-helmet-design-during-world-war-i

[@tackyman2011]

Thanks for the link.

[@thurin84]

bashford dean

[@dukecraig2402]

When I was a kid in the 70's I lived across the road from a lady who was a retired metallurgist, she was part of the team at United States Steel that did testing on different types of steel to determine which would be best for the new helmet, as he pointed out they found that what was already being used in the M1917 helmet was sufficient, she was part of the team that determined that.

[@JamesKintner]

As a young E4 in the 90's I recall being detailed to find all the M1's in our unit. I transitioned to the guard after my first four and there weren't as many jobs as people on weekends. We still had some old guard Vietnam guys in our unit and they refused to wear pasgt bucket. I'm sure a few got lost here and there. We were pretty far in the rear then, but a couple of those guys had some interesting fruit salad when we had to dress up. Thanks for the trip down memory lane THG!

[@klan792]

I bought an unworn PASGT from a guy who got issued it for Desert Storm, but chose to wear his M1 instead. He kept both

[@TimoNoko]

I maybe the last person ever wearing Nazi Stahlhelm at active duty. In 1975 the Finnish Army decided I am not very good at shooting people, so I was employed reprogramming Russian missiles. Officially I was still a soldier so they gave me some leftover gear from WW2.

[@thurin84]

egypt was still issuing stahlhelms as late as 1979. us soldiers were finding german and austrian m16 helmets in afganistan in the early 2000s!

[@dukecraig2402]

I was riding around on my Harley in the 2000's with an SS marked Stahlhelm, does that count?

[@wildbillarizona3237]

Chilean Army still uses them in certain units.

[@jjhpor]

I was in Spain in 1966. The Guarda Civil was still wearing them then. I tried to take a picture of one guarding a facility and he pointed his machine gun at me. The gun had a 100 round drum!

[@dukecraig2402]

@@jjhpor I'll bet you didn't take the picture 🤣🤣 I also had one of those Spanish helmets, 25 years ago or so International Military Antiques got a shipment in and they were selling them for like $15 so I couldn't resist and got one. They were made in Germany for the Spanish but they differed a little bit the chin strap was thinner, the buckle was on the other side and they were sharp edge instead of rolled edge like most of the German helmets.

[@TheEphemeris]

When it comes down to it, the simple question of "can it shovel?" Will keep the M1 endeared to millions who served with it.

[@dukecraig2402]

I grew up in Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, in the 70's across the street from me lived a lady that was a metallurgist years before at United States Steel, she told me stories about running tests on steel such as the Rockwell Hardness Test to determine which type was best for use for the WW2 (M1941) helmet later know as the M1 helmet (which as he points out they wound up staying with the same metal as the M1917), funny thing is after graduating high school in 1983 and enlisting in the Army I wore one of those uncomfortable SOB's for 3 years, and yes we still bathed and cooked with them, shortly after I got out in 1986 my unit got the new Kevlar helmet.

[@hectorheathcote9495]

I loved my M1 helmet so much I held onto it when I separated from the US Army in 1981. Still have it on a shelf in my closet. Also, love the photo of the MP's at the mess table. I served with the 40th ID and seeing that division patch again made me smile. Thanks, History Guy.

[@edl617]

On navy ships in the 70’s and 80’s the problem was liners and chin strap deteriorating to the point where they broke. As a 2nd class petty officer in 77 I mention this to the chief And the damage control officer. So I was task with getting new chin straps and liners. Being a bit lazy I wander over to the Marines that guarded the Naval base. Got the NSN for them and we were surprised to find they were so cheap. We got enough to repair all the helmets on the ship plus order new helmets that needed replacement. We kept enough liners and chin straps on board to use for trading

[@ronaldrobertson2332]

Hehehe! Atta boy! Remembering the old adage, "God helps those who help themselves."

[@markw999]

We had them up to 1990. Painted haze gray of course. They were beat by then. Dents, scratches, liners tore to hell, straps rotted. The Navy got the ass end of everything.

[@martinmiller1087]

@@markw999 ... Except the food. ... In the Navy they get the gravy, in the Army we get the beans. ... Thanks for your service, my friend. ... I wore my steel pot in Army infantry in III Corp RVN 68-69.

[@markw999]

@@martinmiller1087 I spent a little time in Baghdad in 07 as a contractor. Army chow now is pretty good. Dunno how the Navy evolved after '90 but grunts got it pretty good. Not to mention the fast food places that spring up everywhere around bases - LOL. Before '90 we probably weren't too different. Navy had a lot of weird recipes, IMHO. They tried to make Filipino food (which i generally like) and massively failed. Most of it was pretty low-grade crap, to be honest. And for the record, my service involved a lot of Budweiser and nobody ever shot at me (not directly anyway) so no need to thank me for much. All the checks cashed. That was thanks enough.

[@dorightal4965]

A good supply guy boosts morale in a unit second only to a good mess sergeant ! Having something to trade was better than money in the bank. In a combat zone, you were hard pressed to find a store to spend any money, but something to swap - pure gold!

[@reginaldcarnes6236]

Dear history guide, you are the best geek on the planet in history. USMC- Vietnam, 67- 68- 69. I loved my helmet. It was my kitchen, my stool, not that kind, the one I sat on. And it save my head on more than one occasion. You are the best!

[@claytonkeates2614]

Great episode! How about you do the history of the Bow Tie? I personally think they are awesome and have begun to wear them on occasion. However, maybe include an instructional portion of the video on how to properly tie one? Haha you obviously know! Thanks for another great episode!

[@kristynadavidkova9221]

This sounds great 👍

[@gordonjohnson405]

In 31 years in the Army my first helmet was an M1. I also wore a PASGT, then an ACH, and now an ECH. Your comment on the versatility of the M1 is absolutely correct. I would add that logistically M1s were easier to store and transport, as you can stack them. The more irregular shape and thicker material of the PASGT, ACH, and ECH make them much less space efficient for storage and transport. If a helmet could be made with the thinness and versatility of the M1, but ballistic protection of the ECH I would absolutely buy it.

[@mikajulin]

When I served my conscription in the Finnish army in 2006-2007 I was issued a spork that was manufactured in 1945. Worked like a charm.

[@jacqueschouette7474]

One quibble. Guadalcanal was in September 1942, not 1943. I wore both the M1 helmet and it's replacement. They both had their pluses and minuses. The replacement didn't bounce around as much on your head when you ran and it didn't slide down over your eyes when firing in the prone position, but for everything else, the M1 helmet was better.

[@clark9992]

In 1970, while still in highschool, I joined the Canadian Artillery Reserve. They issued us all the same uniform as they did in 1939, including the Mark 1 helmet. The helmet could easily have seen service in WW1. We even got those gaiters that were like long khaki bandages. We looked like we belonged in the trenches at the Battle of the Somme, except the Great War uniforms were neater than the WW2 ones. The later ones had baggier pants, and waist length tunic, instead of the over the hip ones of the first war. On manoeuvres, some of our rations were really old. My chocolate was from 1943!

[@nekokyun]

I just today got in an M1 helmet with the fiber board like liner today! $50 on eBay, and it came with 2 replacement no vertical cracks, and a small amount of surface rust inside that was easily sanded off with no “original” paint removal!!! aftermarket suspension and chin straps. I just started the video and am sooooo excited to learn more!

[@13BGunBunny]

In basic training when we had "gas attack" training, we would use our steel pot as a puke pail so that the floor would not get messy.

[@travishagan8951]

If you don't mind my asking What years did you serve ?

[@thurin84]

i sincerly hope none of my m1s received THAT treatment lol.

[@sunsetarts]

@@thurin84 I only ever used mine as a wash basin in the mornings after stand to.

[@Onewheelordeal]

A little less gross when I got to the part of the video where he talks about how the inner soft parts are removable. But still so nasty lol

[@13BGunBunny]

@@travishagan8951 US Army Artillery B Btry 4th BN 4th FA Ft. Sill, OK '84-'86

[@just_another_Joe]

I still have my M1 helmet, liner, camouflage cover, and elastic band from when I was in the Marines. All in excellent condition. The liner’s integrated chin strap is of the design with the two-strap arrangement that my chin is cupped into, but the steel pot’s strap is an older design, being just a single strap with a double-hook-type buckle that runs under the jawline when not stowed around the back. Even after 40 years, it still has that 782-gear smell to it. It was issued to me around ’82/‘83. When it came time to swap them out for the new (at the time) “Fritz” helmet, I was friends with a supply-guy, and he let me keep the old M1. I’ve carted it around with me all these years to wherever I’ve moved and it’s always been tucked away in a closet, hence why it’s still in basically the same condition it was when I got it all those years ago.

[@wolfgangholtzclaw2637]

I went to basic in Fort Polk in the early seventies. Vietnam still going on. Our helmets were freaking old. And looked WWII vintage. As a matter of fact all of our web gear was old, pistol belt, ammo pouches. When i was assigned to an Infantry TOE Unit at Ft. Polk, 61st Infantry, the supply sergeant would call off an item... I couldn't recognize the item he was referring to. He would say haven't you seen ammo pouches? I said yeah, but not like these... Our ammo pouches were old in basic and Infantry AIT made of the old cotton duck material. At 61st Infantry everything was now nylon and new. And my Steel pot... new with a nice green sand finish... and the chin strap actually had a chin loop, not like the old WWII i had been wearing. Years later I was a ROTC acquisition commissioned 2d lieutenant to the 1st Infantry Division forward... Boeblingen Germany (1983). This brand new Lieutenant was issued another WWII type M1 Helmet. It also had Air Corp markings which proves what history guy said... a WWII helmet was universal Navy, Air Force, Marines or Army. It did for us all. One last thing... it had a big dent in the top on one side and a very smooth finish, meaning probably one of the shiny WWII types. Years later Again in Europe I became a Company Commander, my supply truck which was one of the items on my supply inventory list. Had a plaque in steel on the dashboard. Rebuilt at depot in 1962. In that I was in Europe, in that the Army drives a truck for years before doing anything. Well... in 1990 when we went to Desert Shield and Desert Storm.. I am convinced we were getting our supplies by a WWII Red ball express truck. It had good performance and my supply sergeant would almost spin wheels leaving the compound. My XO would always cry out: "Sir, that Sergeant Torres is at it again! He needs to slow down"... hmmm WWII trucks kicking arse in 1991, 1992, 1993. I acutally believe my supply truck is still out there. An old M35 depot upgraded to M35a1in a depot refit in 1962... that generation built some awesome stuff. Old Trucks, Old helmets, young men and women stepping into Grand Paw's shoes. Thanks History Guy!! To be honest the Army is always slow to change... it just loves tradition and what works. Now at 65 Years old, yes today is my birthday, I am slow to change very much like the Army I used to gripe about. My how I miss it!

[@davidpaterline4165]

Bubba Holtzclaw Happy birthday and thanks for your service!

[@wolfgangholtzclaw2637]

@@davidpaterline4165 I see that old steel pot on your head too!!! thanks for your service David!!!

[@465maltbie]

I served in the USAF from 1986 into the 1990's and we were issued the steel helmet for deployments. The army had already gone to the kevlar helmet but as the helmet wasnt daily wear for USAF they kept the steel one. I did have to use it for shaving and washing during several exercises. Thanks for sharing. Charles

[@skychildoflight9867]

Good job THG!! The steel pot brings back some fond memories, I still have the one issued to me as when we started turning the steel pots in to supply to exchange for the Kevlars, (I was one of the last to do so) the supply sergeant said I could keep mine.

[@jovanweismiller7114]

Thank you, HG. My Grandfather wore the Brody in 1914-18 and one saved my Mum's life during the London Blitz. My Uncle wore the M-1917 in WWI and my Dad wore the M-1 in WWII. Fascinating history.

[@gruberjens4354]

I have one on my shelf. When I was a small boy, I always wanted one, but never were able to get my parents to get one. Now as a tall boy, I finally got one. It's handy, whenever I have to argue with the Misses

[@stevewilson7857]

Yes the helmets do work well in hitting wives

[@gruberjens4354]

@@stevewilson7857 I use mine just for protection... You can't cause a dent in dragon scales with it xD

[@chrissherer2047]

I believe in '52 they finally got the anti- rolling pin rating followed in '63 by the frying skillet ANSI mark.

[@thurin84]

@@gruberjens4354 have to find a +5 m1 of dragon slaying for that one!!! good luck with that! might have to fight a lich for one!

[@pirobot668beta]

I wore one of these buckets for the last time in 1980. Steel pots, green fatigues, shiny black boots, M-16 rifle. Last of an era.

[@spanuehspanueh7216]

In the USAF in the early 2000s, I saw quite a few Vietnam era M1 helmets and gas-masks still being issued to the extra-small headed male and female airman.

[@ReviveHF]

You need to edit the M1 Helmet article in wikipedia. In wikipedia, it stated M1 Helmet served in the US military until 1980s.

[@waynebrundidge206]

I wore the M1 in the jungles of Vietnam. It was my pillow when I slept on the ground at night. We boiled wild boar meat that had been tenderize by a claymore mine the night before. The Stell pot was a friend of mine and a fond memory for me today. Thanks History Guy for the memory. 😎😎🌟⭐️✨👍😷

[@howardjohnson2138]

In another life, I remember standing in a hanger for a change of command ceremony. We'd invited our German sister unit to participate with us. They stood on one side of the hanger, and we stood on the other. Our Steel Pots were heavy and many of us envied the light-weight helmets our Germany compatriots were wearing. After the ceremony some of us mingled and discovered that theirs was just as heavy as ours. Alas.

[@pistonar]

The other guy _always_ has better gear. It's almost a fact.

[@charlesdavenport2543]

18th Infantry Regiment.

[@thurin84]

at one point germany used cast off us m1s. then they started producing their own version. looked almost the same from the outside but the liner was attached permanently and the rim was folded under.

[@glenmartin2437]

I never much thought about the M1helmet. I had wore a number of them while observing marines training at Camp Pendleton and another base. Thank for another delightful and interesting history.

[@dannyjones3840]

I joined the Marines in 94, so I never got the M-1, but I can tell you that the kevlars are damnit strong. Mine came off my gear, got run over by a 5 ton, and was in perfect shape lol!

[@troy242]

I have become an "amateur" helmet collector. As a police officer my collection started, obviously, with police helmets; but soon branched out to military and movie prop helmets. I ALWAYS enjoy your content, and this video was especially fun to watch. Keep up the good work!

[@sethsims7414]

You could tell the difference between pre 1945 and post by how radioactive the helmet is. Nuclear bomb tests put enough radioactive elements in the air that steel manufactured before and after bomb tests started are measurably different.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I have never heard that before.

[@sethsims7414]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel It's true of any steel en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel. Pre 1945 steel is pretty important for certain industrial things.

[@GuamGuy]

We usually just check if the helmet's edge band seam is in the front (ww2) or in the rear (post war), but that works too!

[@mtnvalley9298]

That's a great tidbit. Thanks.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Guam .Guy shells made from 1941 - 1943 had the rim seam on the front. But millions of helmets were produced during WWII with rear seams.

[@jeffwaddell66]

When I first joined the military I was issued a M1 helmet. I loved it. After I was issued the Pasgt I missed my old M1. It was more of a tool then just a helmet. Thank you it brought back some good memories.

[@UnlicensedOkie]

The funny thing is I was scrolling through my phone and saw this video right when I was standing next to my old Korean War era M1 helmet

[@thurin84]

fate!

[@TrikeRoadPoet]

I remember these old metal lids that served US military personnel seemingly forever. I'd love to find one of these to hang on my wall, an old friend that I believe helped bring me home from Nam! Thanks for sharing this story.

[@edmundlibby2215]

Your camo cover is on backwards - the fold on top should be oriented so that the pocket opens to the rear, so as not to catch brush when moving forward.

[@jayforkner2692]

@R Mack He has super vision. I can't even see the helmet because ...camo...😀

[@leebenson4874]

Thats the way REMF's do it!!!!

[@jarink1]

You believe everything drill instructors tell you? Go get me some flight line and a box of grid squares.

[@tonyk1584]

@@jarink1 I was in MI radio intelligence. We used to tell the new guys to go to the comm center and get the list of unlisted call signs and bring them back to us.

[@tomrobertson3236]

@@jarink1 frequency grease Battery's start with BA So get me s BA-1100-N

[@bedeodempsey5007]

Air National Guard was still using it in the early 90s. I bought my own with the woodland camo cover just like the one you held up. Everyone else had OD green ones.

[@Dial912]

love you THG!!

[@bryanpetersen1334]

It is always great to hear from you. I’ve been out of commission for three weeks after a nasty vehicle accident. $250,000, 2 surgeries, several more to go, but I can enjoy a video like this again. Thank you.

[@BaikalTii]

4:50 and 6:20 two of my longstanding favorite contradictions- soldiers wearing Brody helmets with Gas Port Garands and soldiers wearing M1 helmets with Gas Trap Garands. Good Times, lol

[@TheoneandonlyJobis]

Wore one of these in Basic training in 2006! Once you get the leather strap right it was insanely comfortable. Way better than the kevlar

[@This1Person]

Been waiting for this one since the beginning of your "hat series"

[@thurin84]

me too!

[@mikeks8181]

I Remember this helmet design for USMC Bootcamp in August of 1984! The liner was spray painted silver! The Nickname was Called A. " Chrome Dome"! Thank You For Bringing Back of My History

[@alexcarter8807]

Running joke: Q - What's tomorrow's uniform. A - Class A's, steel pot, and shower shoes!

[@CharliMills]

You forgot to add "A light coat of oil".

[@75RWM]

Watching you trying on the helmet and talking through different protection positions reminded me way back when we'd play "army" for hours at time. The kid still abides, in you and in me.

[@Vet-7174]

Very interesting!!

[@nusbacher]

Sharp video as always. I had an M1 helmet as a Canadian soldier in the early 1990s with the Mitchell leaf pattern camouflage cover. Of course I always had a cam net cover over the cloth. When Canadian peacekeepers disembarked in Egypt in 1956 they looked very British: battledress, berets with a crown badge and a flag with a union jack in the corner. The Egyptians were not happy, so the UN bought pallet loads of M1 steel helmets that were kicking around France at the time, painted them UN blue and stuck them on the Canadian and Swedish members of UNEF 1. It was a quick fix that stuck: blue helmets and berets are still part of UN missions. When the non-UN peacekeepers, the MFO, deployed to Egypt they wore burnt orange hats to make the point that they were *not* Casques-Bleues.

[@AppliedArtsProds]

While I fully understand using the latest materials, I wish that the new helmets still looked like the M1's. The iconic design was what set American soldiers apart from the rest.

[@traumajock]

It'd be easy to recreate the M1 shape in UHMWPE. You could even make it so that you could use the fiberglass liner from the original M1. You could use it for a bucket then. I have to wonder if cooking in the M1 would weaken the temper of the steel. It was a very iconic shape. The original PASGT had bigger skirts on the side to cover the ears. If you look at the 'high-cut' helmets that some troops are using now, you'd notice that it covers the side no more than the M1917 did. Maybe less. That was to reduce interference with hearing. The M1917 did look stupid IMHO, but for what it was originally intended to protect against, it did so very well. The brim also provided limited protection for your shoulders from overhead shrapnel. Watch some YT videos about ballistic performance. You'll find out that the Soviet and Eastern Bloc versions of the steel helmet provided much better protection than our M1. It was the quality of the metal, and partly the front slope that made the difference. The Soviet SSH-68 steel pot is still used by the Afghan National Army. So is the Romanian M73 (easily the best steel helmet still in use, if not of all time.)

[@kilo393]

These old helmets are aesthetically pleasing, but the shape isn't good for soldiers in the modern battlefield.

[@stahlhelmturtle9822]

@@traumajock the high cut helmets used nowadays have the sides cut away so troops can use their comms headsets with the helmet more comfortably.

[@mwt3579]

I wore the old steel pot when I went through OCS at Quantico in the summer of 1985. When I got commissioned in April 1986 and reported back to Quantico for The Basic School, we were issued the new Fritz helmet. I loved the steel pot. It just made you feel like John Wayne.

[@Publius7619]

M1's made until the end of 1944 have the seam on the rim on the front. All others have it on the back. WWII M1's had fixed bales that couldn't move, all M1's made after id-1944 had moving ones. There are also tons of differences in the liners that are easy to find online, same with heat stamps inside, which tell you where and when it was produced. Edit; some relevant links: www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/forum/606-helmets-amp-accessories-ref/ www.circa1941.com/post/what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-wwii-m1-helmet

[@thurin84]

they switched to rear seam in late 1944 though a few here and there still had it in the front. i have both rear seem stainless rims and front seam manganese rims. they switched to swivel bales in early mid 1944.

[@Publius7619]

@@thurin84 Thanks. For the info. I'll edit the post to better reflect it.

[@doodmonkey]

Thank you for your input on this subject. I have an M1 helmet from my pops during the Vietnam war. I wore it a couple times, once being confused with the color core of a parade.

[@danieltaylor5231]

Plus the Kevlar gives eggs an odd flavor.

[@anyhoot47]

More great memories from the History Guy. I was with the 101st Airborne in 1986 when we turned in our steel pot helmet for the new Kevlar helmet.

[@HazeyCazeyTv]

Happy October everyone!

[@Shipfixer]

I wore one of those things from 1967-1969. Was glad to have it a few times. Others, well, the damn thing weighed a ton, unlike the modern kevlar ones today. In Vietnam it was so hot it felt sometimes like my brain was cookin'! I watch every single one of your uploads. Long time Subscriber. Right on History Guy, Sir!

[@mojavejoel]

Great

[@thomsalveson9360]

I really enjoyed this episode. I have examples of the M1917 helmet, M1, Kevlar and the ACH. His work is spot on. Good Job THG!

[@Gizmomadug]

I have an M1 helmet taken home as a war souvenir. The war was the Falklands.

[@darthcat6337]

Have been away due to illness. Glad I can now hear and listen to THG Channel and catch up on some great episodes!

[@2aEdu]

👍🇺🇸

[@bedeodempsey5007]

Issued to me in the Air National Guard 90-94 after having been issued a PASGT in the 80s active duty USAF.

[@taun856]

As an old soldier I have a soft spot in my heart for the M1 "Brain Bucket". The Kevlar might have been "safer" but the steel pot was vastly more useful. The main thing I didn't like about it was if and when you had to jump out of the back of a Deuce-and-a-half (2 1/2 ton "truck") and forget to take the skid lid off. Good way to bang up the bridge of your nose. I retired before the newer bicycle helmet style was issued so I can't really comment about that one - except it looks like it offers less protection.

[@baneofbanes]

That’s because newer helmeted aren’t meant to offer as much protection. The newer helmet styles are meant to protect your head from banging around while allowing for your senses to be as unrestricted as possible.

[@stahlhelmturtle9822]

@@baneofbanes the newer ops core style high cut helmets or ACH/ECH helmets offer less coverage but a higher protection level than the older steel helmet, as they are rated at NIJ 3a, which means they are able to stop rounds up to .44 magnum. The "crash helmets" are called bump helmets and are not approved for use by regular troops.

[@jbrhel]

Aahh History Guy. You and your bloody hats! I hope you are well. Thanks for another great video.

[@johnortmann3098]

One use you missed. My father said on some occasions they had to do their business in the helmet and then reach up and dump it out of the foxhole, since getting out at night involved getting shot at. This was in the South Pacific.

[@pdsrenos]

I was issued this helmet during my time in the Army with the later introduction of the "K-Pot" in 88 or 89. I always preferred the "Steel Pot" to the "K-Pot" for many reasons you mentioned. Also, We were not allowed to use the "K-Pot" as a seat due to it regularly breaking. PS: I bought a complete set of TA-50 for inspections, so when I ETS'd, I had my own set. I have my Helmet and Helmet Liner to this day!

[@brucewelty7684]

The Kevlar helmet was ??lovingly?? referred to as "the Fritz" , Kind of honoring it surrogate father, the Stalhelm.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

you mean the coalscuttle helmet? :D (and Stahlhelm has two hs)

[@gunguide9201]

@@Ugly_German_Truths Stahlhelm only for real Germans

[@bawbremy]

Never called it Fritz; just brain bucket.

[@jjhpor]

I always thought that it looked German enough to degrade the image of American soldiers. The Germans sure as heck never wore them after 1945, modeling their headgear after the American design. The shape says something that decent people do not want to hear.

[@vonsopas]

In military slang is also known as the "pasgit" from the acronym for the whole system, PASGT (Personnel Armor System, Ground Troops). Cheers! EDIT: I wrote this before the H. guy got to that part...

[@robertsettles2180]

Joined the Army Reserve in '88 as a DEP. We still had steel pots and jeeps. Went to basic in the summer of '89 and wore the kevlar. My unit received its kevlars the same weekend I came back.. Got to spend he first drill weekend back from basic putting in everybody else's headbands and suspensions. Fun.

[@BELCAN57]

THG: "The Hat Guy"

[@edwarddouglaspierce]

I got mine!!! Loved the one I wore ... especially how it can be used for more things vs Kevlar ... shovels, shaving are a few

[@SoloPilot6]

When we were kids, I and my neighbors pestered our parents to take us down to Supply Sergeant (in El Monte, CA), where we pawed through huge boxes of helmet liners, looking for JUST the right one to take home for playing war. If I saw a photo of us, a bunch of 8-year-olds with toy guns, candy cigarettes hanging out of our mouths, and "helmets" that would probably give shade across both shoulders at the same time . . .the only question is how long it would take to stop laughing. When he hit 10 or so, we started adding the steel pot, and then the cover. One kid showed how effective the camo was in the brush -- nobody saw him until he stood up, and he was about 2 feet taller because of the weeds artfully inserted into the holes in the cover. This THG video takes me back . . .BTW, since the Kevlar helmet is commonly known as the "Fritz," should the ECH be called the "Alfred E Newman" . . ?

[@daddyofcallie]

I too was a kid who loved visiting Supply Sergeant in El Monte! For a good report card in first grade, I was able to grab a few items there. Every so often, my dad, Korean War Marine, would drive us there from Hacienda Heights to dig through all the musty gear. There was a place in La Puente called Doughboy's. Military surplus items, gun shop, camping stuff. Liked visiting that place too.

[@weaponsgradepotato]

A couple years back I bought an M1 from Berkeley Surplus. It was a 1942-1945 shell but everything else about it was Vietnam, the straps and liner. On the inside of the liner there is the name Ethan written in red marker.