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The 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment had pretty unique helmet going into Operation Dragoon 76 years ago yesterday. Due to a manufacturing shortage of M2 Paratrooper helmets, virtually all members of the Regiment were issued with standard M1 Infantry helmets that were to be /1
replaced when the time came. They landed by sea for their first combat engagement in Italy at Civitavecchia where the use of M1 helmets was no problem. But jumping with helmets with no proper chinstrap is. Therefore the helmets were rigger modified with an improvised /2
chin-cup, as seen on this original. Two simple buckles were applied to the regular chin strap for the improvised chin-cup to fix into. This image of a very well made reproduction shows how this looked when worn. The Regiment also adopted a tight, British style helmet net that /3
was added to the helmets before the camouflaging processes took place. It all looked pretty normal with the net on but when removed it created the snake-skin effect you see on the original. For me, it's my favourite style of helmet camouflage from WWII. As you can imagine, an /4
original of a rigger modified helmet of which less than 3,000 were made is now rarer than hens teeth. This great image, likely posed, shows members of the Regiment rigged up to jump and gives us a great look at the helmets. A combination of black and green paint was used. /5
Those familiar with the 1st Pattern Griswold padded rifle cases will also note another 517th modification. Three pieces of heavily webbing with "lift the dot" snaps were applied to help keep the load secure, with 1st Pattern cases regularly breaking open on jumps.
