Schutzmutze: The West German tanker's beret/helmet

fourth in a series on tank helmet posts

Of all the helmets in my collection, this one is my wife's favorite.

For your consideration, the Bundeswehr padded tanker's beret. This natty little number is a testimonial to tradition, functionality, and rakish good looks.

The design is a direct descendant of the Baskenmutze of the Nazi era.

Now, I don't feel I'm going out on much of a limb here by opining that there were only three things the Nazis created that weren't outward manifestations of their black-souled demonic evil, and those three things were actually pretty swell. They are:

1. The autobahn
2. The Volkswagen Beetle
3. The Baskenmutze/Schutzmutze family of helmets

While this trio slowly roasts in hell (for those of you who believe in that sort of thing) their jaunty little padded berets continued to march on into the 1970s in the form of the Schutzmutze.

This side view shows to good effect the typically high-quality wool that forms the beret portion of the Schutzmute. Our first clue that this beret is unusual is the thick, protective bumper that runs the circumference of the opening.

Here, is the meat-and-potatoes of this helmet/beret.  When the beret is slipped off we are left with the protective element of this helmet.  Marzetti states that the protection is acheived through felt and foam rubber,


and,  when you pull back the inner fabric lining, some sort of plastic, ABS (like) or fiberglass hard shell is revealed, forming the rigid, non-ballistic,  bowl.  

As is so often the case with old foam rubber this foam has deteriorated into nothing more than a granular orange powder.

This particular Schutzmutze is abundantly marked.   Finding and interpreting the markings on a helmet is much of the fun of collecting.


Based on this label, if I had to guess, I'd say that this helmet was produced in January of 1963.  Here again, I remind readers that I always welcome corrections, clarification, and comments.  Any information that YOU can provide will simply make this a more valuable post to collectors and helmet enthusiasts, and I am always very grateful for your thoughtful, and factual,  input.


I'm guessing that this is the size.

These markings are stamped underneath the sweatband, I don't know what they mean.

The very cool insignia of the Bundeswehr graces the front of this very distinctive piece of military headgear.

Altogether this stout hard shell coupled with the surrounding bumpers provides considerable protection for the head of the tanker, all in a lightweight, well ventilated, and very attractive package.

Like I always say:  "Bundeswehr is fun to wehr!"

Just ask these three Leopard tankers.

For successfully incorporating both the beret AND androgney the Bundeswehr has no equal!




provenance:
accession number: MOA hmar120.32.106
Schutzmutze: Tank Crewman's Beret/Helmet, West Germany 1970s
Acquired 1984, Lansing Michigan
Purchase price :$15.00
Condition: excellent

Next Monday, another tanker helmet.

Comments from readers include:

This authoritative laundry list from collector dirk r. festus festerling

great fun (like every week...), just some small additions:

The concept of the Autobahn (without actually naming it like that)
predates the nazis. post war chancellor Adenauer, then lord mayor of
cologne, a conservative hardliner but surely no nazi, and the prussian
Landeshauptmann (roughly: province chief executive officer...)
Johannes Horion, not accidently member of the same Burschenschaft
(Conservative student´s fraternity) as Adenauer, ran the project to
employ thousands of jobless people (the use of heavy building
machinery was forbidden whereever a man (or many) and a
shovel/wheelbarrow could get a task done.
as a nice side effect the BIG ford car plant in cologne got a high
speed test areal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesautobahn_555
more fun details http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesautobahn_555

the Nazis just spread the concept.

"Our first clue that this beret is unlike other Bundeswehr berets is
the thick, protective bumper that runs the circumference of the opening."
[change made to above text]

at that time there are NO other bundeswehr berets. non-armour wears
various versions of Schiffchen or Bergmütze caps.

56 is the size, indeed. the crossed sabers beyound the cokarde aren´t
the armour symbol, but the generic "army" one. [change made to above text]
the only crossed symbol in armoured units is the crossed lances of the
Panzeraufklärer armoured scouts, but "your" beret was issued to all
armoured personnel regardless of designation. stories of PzAufkl
lining (at own cost) the inside of all of their uniforms including
pyjamas in gold satin to show they are the true heirs of cavalry are
greatly exagerated. never witnessed trouser inliners.

oh, and on the last but one tank helmet. nowadays and at least from
the ´80s onward bundeswehr armour was issued the same or rather very
similar padded headgear. i´ve been searching for very stupid foto of
chancellor Kohl wearing one of these while stuck in a Leopard turret
hatch in Munster, celebrating 30th bundeswehr anniversary.


the number of non-staged fotos with protective caps is neglectable.
whereever possible "true tankers", non-debarking Panzergrenadiers and
protected company Jägers will wear their issued black resp. green
berets without any serious protective qualities and put a comm headset
over it, only those stuck with non-camouflagous headgear couldn´t
prevent wearing these.
i still like my coral red beret.
and i´m a bit nervous about recent attempts to impress the afghan
public with superior haberdashery:

Soviet tank crewman's helmet: Cold War era

Third in a series of tank helmet posts

This post is to celebrate Russia's Euro 2008 soccer victory over Sweden (2-0) last week in Innsbruck, Austria.

In an uncharacteristic demonstration of restraint the Russians chose not to rape three quarters of the population.

"How nice, for a change" remarked an elderly Austrian woman who remembered the Russki victory romp of 1945.

Here then, is that marvel of fabric and horsehair; the summer tankman's helmet of the 1970s.

But first a glimpse at some propaganda pix of the Reds in Berlin in 1945.  Check out the classic Soviet tank helmets. 

Am I the only one who finds this picture disturbing?

I think these commie tankers have more than liberation on their ferret-like little minds.  

This Soviet tanker's helmet from 1974 is little changed from the days of WWII when the Red Juggernaut was rumbling toward Berlin.   

Unlike the fiber, leather, and metal AFV helmets of many other nations of the same era, this number is strictly fabric.  Now I don't know from personal experience,  but the strategically placed bumpers seem like they would provide somewhat inadequate protection  inside a jolting armored fighting vehicle.

If any readers have personal experience with this helmet I'd love to hear about it, that is if you're still with me after that "ferret-like little mind" crack.

The classic profile, with neck flap up.

Here the neck flap is in the down position.  The purpose of this flap is not known to me. Perhaps it prevents dust and grime from getting down the back of the tankers neck.

When properly adjusted this helmet is quite comfortable.

This adjustable strap across the dome allows the wearer the ability to customize the fit of the helmet.

Markings are abundant, crisp, and colorful.

These markings provide this non-Russian speaker with minimal information, however they do nicely nail down the date of manufacture - 1974, height of the Cold War, back when I was doing my bit to thwart the evil designs of the Red Menace.

                     Me against them - 1972.

Access to the rubber headphone cups is provided through hidden slash pockets.

Another adjustment strap located under the flap allows for a snug fit below the nape of the neck.

The use of leather is minimal in this economical helmet, only at the brow...

surrounding the earphones...

and on the short chin strap.

Integral fabric loops control and guide the headphone cables.

Only one nice piece of confection graces the front bumper pad of this otherwise proletarian helmet.

Our brave young tanker contemplates past Red Army victories against the fascists and dreams of future successes against...the Afgans?


до свидания и удача мои друзья

provenance:
accession number: MOA hmar.v2.238.62.20
Helmet - Tank Crewman's Helmet, Soviet Union
Acquired 2005, ebay purchase
Purchase price :$4.50
Condition: excellent

Next Monday, another tanker helmet.

USA, Combat Vehicle Crewman's helmet - Vietnam

second in a series of twelve

I saw this scrawled on more than one barrack wall:

As I slide down the long bannister of life I'll always remember Vietnam as a long splinter in my ass.

The Helmet

The non-ballistic CVC helmet was a lightly padded crash helmet for wear inside all US armored fighting vehicles during the Vietnam era.  This specimen, manufactured by Sierra Engineering in 1966, mounts integrated send/receive electronics emblematic of the advances of radio and intercom communications in the post WWII era.


The exterior draw string allows the wearer to snug up the earphone cup allowing a better fit.

This side view affords a good view of the boom microphone as well as the send/receive switch box.

This helmet provided very good overall head protection for the bumps and jars typical of AFV living.

The Suspension



The CVC suspension has components similar to the M1 liner.


The OD webbing, "A" washers, and adjustment buckles are typical of the M1, although this suspension is configured quite differently than that of the M1 liner.


Unlike the M1, the CVC leather sweatband is only a partial affair, contacting merely the forehead of the wearer.  Also note the 1/4 inch thick sponge rubber padding which lines the entire dome of the helmet.

The manufacturer's label, sewn into the rear of the head band, is very crisp and provides quite a bit of information.  This particular helmet was manufactured in 1966, back when many Americans still thought the war was "winnable".  Funny, the Vietnamese were thinking the exact same thing.

The electronics




The Roanwell Corporation, manufacturer of the CVC electronics, is still going strong.  Click here for their website.



The individual earphones are comfortable and heavily padded to provide maximum acoustic insulation inside the noisy environment of the armored vehicle.


Both earphones snap in and out of the shell, for ease of replacement.

The articulated boom on the microphone is remarkably adjustable and engineered for durability.


Close up of the microphone.  "Basher one, requesting sit-rep on the beach party question, over"

By the way, the GIs in the photos are off an armor website, these aren't guys I served with... I had my own problems.

All in all a fine piece of protective gear, much better engineered than MacNamara's exit strategy. 

provenance:
accession number: MOA harmold1.279
Helmet - Crash Vehicle Crewman
Acquired 1979, Lansing Michigan.
Purchase price :$20.00
Condition: excellent

Next Monday, another tanker helmet.

Canadian armored crewman helmet of World War Two

Thus begins a series of eleven or twelve posts profiling the various Armored Crewman and tanker helmets in my collection.

I begin with an early one, the name of which I'm not even certain. Paolo Marzetti, in his masterwork Combat Helmets of the World(1996, p. 222) lists this example: Helmet, Crash, Royal Tank Corps, 1936, going on to note that it was manufactured in England. Here, is the translated text of the same helmet from the 1984 edition:

Helmet in fiber that constitutes the development of the models precedence for tank crewmen
and conductors of Bren Carrier. It has a various design, because and of Canadian construction.

This then, is the identical Canadian twin of the British version. I don't know where in Canada this one was manufactured or by which company, nor do I know the Canadian nomenclature of this particular helmet.

Here is where you, dear reader, can assist me. Any pertinent information you may have about this  Canadian helmet I would welcome in the form of comments (see the bottom of this post). Until then you must settle for my meager information and a multitude of photos taken of the one in my collection.

----------------ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE----------------
Mannie
It's called a Helmet Crash Tank Battalion, its a copy of the British
Helmet Crash Royal Tank Regiment. 11,500 were made by Saftey Supply
Co.of Toronto, between 1940 and 1943. They were not, in fact cheap as
they were made of cork and cost $7.50 each to manufacture. They
remained in service until 1966. For more details, Canadian Combat
Helmets. See pages 30 and 31 of my book Tin Lids, It's presntly out of
print, but I am sure if you looked on ebay or ABE books you would find
a copy.
Roger

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Roger, for that timely chunk of intelligence,  ain't the internet grand? The book referenced above is:
Tin Lids: Canadian Combat Helmets by Roger V. Lucy.  Click here for ordering information.

Front view of this pulp-based helmet. This is a neat little number to accomodate the uncomfortable, head-banging ride afforded by the interior of an armored veichicle with all of its sharp edges, hard surfaces and jutting fixtures. Made of a cork shell covered in painted cotton duck with an ample padded bumper on the front, the wearer's noggin would find plenty of protection in this simple, and effective helmet.

Top view shows the six equal gores of fabric covering the pulp shell, the three rubber-bumper armored ventilation holes, and the front brow bumper.

The web suspension is simple and somewhat similar to the US M1. The headphones are supported in a separate flannel faced, leather yoke that fits snugly, though adjustably,

around the wearer's head.


Close-up of headphone through the apature in the yoke. The flannel actually makes this thing relatively comfy.


Both earpieces are held in place with a simple and ingenious gathered "poke sack" style tightened with a drawstring.


The yoke is fastened to the shell with two buttons positioned in the forward quadrant of the shell, allowing the yoke to "float" somewhat independently from the shell while remaining snugly in place on the wearer's head.



Close-ups of the headphone jack. I'm not certain if these are original to the helmet as Sonetronics is a USA rather than a Canadian company.


Is it just me, or does the chinstrap bring to mind certain aspects of ladies lingerie? I'm just asking.


There we go; the good old Canadian version of the King's Broad Arrow, stamped right on the leather sweatband along with...


this piece of information. Unfortunately, there are no makers marks of any sort that I can find. Again readers, any information you can supply would be greatly appreciated.


The helmet shell and yoke indicate two different sizes, I wonder if this was a way to provide more of a custom fit for the wearer?


Hand stitching penetrates materials that even industrial sewing machines aren't able to.

All in all,  this very lightweight helmet is quite comfortable and seems able to provide considerable protection for the armored vehicle crewman. Like all of the "tanker" helmets of the era this one possess no ballistic protection whatsoever and is strictly for crainial protection against the rigorously uncomfortable life of an armored vehicle crewman.


And, like all things Canadian...







I like it!

provenance:
accession number: MOA hmarv1.176.20.33
Helmet - Crash, Tank Battalion
Acquired 1990, Grand Rapids Michigan.
Purchase price :$20.00
Condition: excellent

Sorry about that ad

Hey,

Sorry about that Scientology ad at the bottom of my page. Seems Tom Cruise or Blogger or somebody pulled a fast one on me.

I don't subscribe to that claptrap.


Get your thumb out, and your helmet on!.

Canadian MkII Steel Helmet: Oh! Canada

This is Canada.


This is the Canadian flag.


This is a Canadian.


I've always been a big fan of Canada and Canadians.

Canada is a very beautiful and huge country with cities both modern and baroque. The diversity of climates, economies, and people make Canada a dynamic and exciting place. The people, and government (aren't those supposed to be the same thing?) are a tolerant and live-and-let-live bunch.

I'm always a little surprised that Canadians aren't nearly as smug as they could be about how much more civil they have made North America than their southern neighbors have...you know, we with all of the guns.

There, then, are my feelings on Canada. Herewith are my observations and opinions on the helmet Canadians used for the first half of the Second World War - the Mk 2.


I'll drink to that! The jaunty tamo'shanter thingy is certainly of questionable ballistic value. Let's get something more suitable on this Canuck's head.


Front view: This lid was acquired with two layers of disruptive netting.

That this MkI, MkII, MkIII design served for so many decades is just about beyond me. The profile of this helmet is unchanged from the First World War. Its relatively shallow design provides little cover for the wearer's temples and none for the crucial brain stem of the soldier. Compared to the family of German helmets of the time, as well as its contemporary the American M1, the MkII begins to look downright ludicrous.

But, that being said, how do you argue with...



  success?


I'm certain that the shiny steel screw fastening the shell to the suspension is a replacement.

Interior view showing the suspension which, with the chinstrap, is a quantum leap forward from the suspension of the Mk1 of the Great War, both in protection to the wearer, and in durability (not to mention ease of manufacture).


The Canadian version of the "king's broad arrow".

This rubber crosspiece found in the crown of Commonwealth helmets is an unusual material that can often be spongy and fresh looking one day, and then, seemingly overnight, harden and crumble. This one is in almost factory-fresh condition.

With the suspension removed.

This chinstrap is the type with the springs in the upper reaches. The fabric is so acidic that it is slowly destroying itself.

The manufacturer's markings on the rim of the shell...

and in the suspension (see comments at bottom of the page).

Apparently the netting has been on this helmet for some time leaving a distinctively mottled pattern on the surface of the painted steel.


Three sewn-in paper labels are affixed to the fabric chinstrap. The actual significance of each is unknown to me:


Does "LG" indicate "size large"?


Is this one an inspectors mark?



The last one is the most intriguing.

One word "THANKS".

Is this, perhaps, a personal message from a defense plant seamstress in Guelph, Hull, Windsor, or Vancouver to any young Canuk soldier serving so very far away from home?  A small tribute from a grateful citizen trying to "do her bit"?

I can only conjecture, but the romantic in me hopes that that is exactly what it is.




As always, thanks Canada.



provenance:
accession number: MOA hmar.214.60.15
Model MkII Canadian helmet.
Acquired 1985, Lansing Michigan.
Purchase price :$10.00
Condition: excellent

Comments

Mannie, Your helmet was made by General Steel Wares (GSW) and the liner was made by Viceroy Manufacturing Company (VMC). That`s a correct combination. Both were made right here in Ontario. As you suspected, the Liner retaining bolt has been replaced with a regular nut/bolt.
As for those tags on the chinstraps.. .ya` got me! I`ve never had a Mk.II that had them (tho` I really like `em! ;) ) Maybe Roger can shed some light...

Thanks for the kind tribute to Canada... you`re welcome to visit
anytime! :) ~MERK

I agree with Merk about the helmet details, an also about the labels, I remember hearing something similar about little labels sewn into the helmets wishing good luck an gratitude from home before, for the guy on
front line to get one of these it must have been must have been heartwarming to know you hadn't been forgotten an your efforts were appreciated, a nice bit of humanity there.

You might also wish to mention that in all Canada manufactured over 1.1 Mk.II helmets.Asside from GSW,the Canadian Lamp
Company (CL/C) of Windsor ON and the Alumin Good Company (AG/C) made Mk.II helmet bodies.
Cheers

Darren.

No I have not seen a tag like that ob\n a chin strap before, but it's the sort of thing which would rapidly dissapear after the helmet had seen any use. Anyway I like Mannie's suggestion it might be a little tribute left by a munitions worker. By the way all Canadian Chinstraps were made by Backstay Standard in Windsor.

The helmet properly is indeed a Mk.II but GSW stamped their bodies Mk.I because it was offically the Body Steel Mk.I to the Helmet Steel Mk.II.
Strictly speaking any map of Canada from WWII should not include

Mk.II helmets were made in Canada between 1940 and 1943
Roger