While doing a little research last night on uniform articles that had been discussed over the last few days, I noticed a photograph of some mounted troops in the U.S.Army. My reference was a book about US Army uniforms of the cold war period by the same author who also published a book of WWII US Army uniforms, although I failed to note his name.
I had always vaguely been aware that the United States Constabulary was some mounted troops, though I have never read much about them. One of my former bosses, who had retired from the army as a major, proudly stated his first overseas duty assignment was with the constabulary and his assigned weapon was a Thompson. But he never mentioned horses.
At any rate, the reference I mention above had a shot of an inspection underway (lots of the photos are of inspections and formations, as a matter of fact) of the mounted MP company of the Berlin command. The point of the photograph was the uniform, which was the postwar OD wool serge jacket worn over riding breeches and the three-buckle issue cavalry (or riding) boots. That was the very uniform, by the way, that Patton was so often seen wearing, although his jacket was a little different, with exposed buttons. I couldn't tell you anything about the tack being used but it surely was the same used in 1943.
The caption stated that after OD became obsolete, there was no equivalent army green mounted uniform ever authorized. Actually, the combination of short jacket and riding breeches makes a fairly practical and attractive outfit and is somewhat similar to the shell jacket worn way back when, during and before the civil war, even though the design is quite different. There was no indication as to whether the uniform as worn by the mounted police and presumably the mounted constabulary was authorized at DA level or local, meaning USAEUR, level. There was also no indication of the day to day uniforms of the mounted units, nor of what uniforms replaced the OD uniforms for equivalent dress, if any. Those units may well have given up their horses at about the same time. Come to think of it, I don't even know how long the constabulary lasted.
Since the OD uniforms were phased out around 1958, it would mean that breeches and boots were still being issued fifteen years after the unmounting of army cavalry and horse artillery units during the war. Mechanization of all those units would have created a large surplus of horse and riding related uniforms and equipment, some of which the army probably still has stashed away somewhere.
My original search was on both the wool jackets and field trousers. The original wool serge jacket was actually called a wool field jacket but the term "ETO jacket" was also used. There were some jackets manufactured in Great Britain for the US Army as well that looked much more like the so-called Parsons jacket but you might say they never caught on. There were two or three postwar modifications to the wool serge jacket mostly intended to enhance the military appearance and some users introduced their own personal modifications for the same reasons.
The British who had originated the battle dress uniform later copied some features of the American style Ike jacket and incorporated them into the last pattern of 1949, which for them was a universal uniform and was almost the only uniform ever worn by most British servicemen at the time outside of tropical areas. The jacket itself is nothing like the American version. It is unlined and of coarse serge but it made a somewhat more practical field garment than an Ike jacket.
An an additional note of interest, British motorcycle riders wore riding breeches and the battle dress jacket but horse mounted individuals continued to be issued the old pattern service dress jacket until No. 2 dress came out in the early 1960's.
Postwar US Army mounted troops
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Pat Holscher
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There's some old threads, and some photos, of Constabulary troops up here. And there's an Army authored article somewhere up on MHI that we linked in on one of those dicussing the Constabulary's history. Not all Constabulary troops were mounted. Indeed, a majority were not, but some were, as you note.
In spite of there being several threads up on them, I still don't have a really firm grasp on their history, and some sources are contradictory regarding them. I've read that many early Constabulary troops were drawn from cavalry units, and therefore the riding would have come naturally too them. Also, operating in light units, which the Constabulary units were, would also have been familiar to them. Having said that, I've also seen it claimed that Constabulary troops were mostly new troops that didn't have the rotation points yet to return to the US, and therefore were available for this duty. Perhaps a mix of both is true. The one Constabulary veteran I know (not a mounted troop) had served throughout WWII, so at least some of them were veterans.
Another confusing aspect of this is that it seems mounted patrols sprung up in a lot of the areas the Army was occupying post WWII. We always tend to hear about the Constabulary in Germany, but it is also the case that mounted patrols existed nearly everywhere US troops were occupying, on at least an informal basis, and at least temporarily.
Pat
In spite of there being several threads up on them, I still don't have a really firm grasp on their history, and some sources are contradictory regarding them. I've read that many early Constabulary troops were drawn from cavalry units, and therefore the riding would have come naturally too them. Also, operating in light units, which the Constabulary units were, would also have been familiar to them. Having said that, I've also seen it claimed that Constabulary troops were mostly new troops that didn't have the rotation points yet to return to the US, and therefore were available for this duty. Perhaps a mix of both is true. The one Constabulary veteran I know (not a mounted troop) had served throughout WWII, so at least some of them were veterans.
Another confusing aspect of this is that it seems mounted patrols sprung up in a lot of the areas the Army was occupying post WWII. We always tend to hear about the Constabulary in Germany, but it is also the case that mounted patrols existed nearly everywhere US troops were occupying, on at least an informal basis, and at least temporarily.
Pat
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BlueTrain
I mentioned working for someone who had served in the constabulary and later retired from the army. I worked for him beginning around 1974 of 1975. While I was on active duty myself, most of the senior NCO's had been to Korea during that war and the staff colonel was a WWII veteran. I never met a Vietnam veteran until returning to the states with my unit (HQ, 24th Division) and even then only a couple. That was the summer of 1968, only 23 years after the end of WWII. Twenty-three years ago since today was almost when the Falkland War was winding up.
Time flies.
Time flies.
The U.S. Army has had mounted troops in some fashion since it's inception, and still do. The uniforms of non Cav designated troops did not always match the Cav units, as did the mission of these troops.
As we have so often discussed the Cavalry was not the sole owner of "mounted rights" in the U.S. Army, although they did develop the largest amount of tactics and training in mounted ops.
The Constabulary maintained mounted troops well into the 50's as did some Artillery units. The uniform worn most of the time was the "Ike" jacket with mounted breeches and 3 buckle pattern boots for EM and dress boots for officers. Saddles were not all McClellans however, Stubben saddles were used as well since many troops were posted very near the Stubben shop. I have spoken to U.S. troops and the Stubbens first hand on this to verify it. Macs were the most common though.
When the Brown shoe Army uniform was replaced by the Green suit (ugh)there was not and never has been a Class A mounted uniform since then. There is a Dress blue pattern which uses blue breeches made by Peter Jay in lieu of trousers. This breech is primarily used by the Caisson Platoon at Ft. Myer, Va.
We tried for almost two years to get a Class A mounted breech but the color is locked in by the Army and the only way to get that color duplicated was to run & buy 3K meters from the mill. Even with all of the individual personell who ride in various disciplines there would never be enough riders to buy that much uniform material. We did make up a few pair that were a close match but never correct. BTW, modifying the Class trousers to mounted pattern is futile. The material/design will not conform to a mounted pattern (pegged) and remain presentable, plus the pant will wear out rapidly. Not to mention you might as well ride with grease on your butt as the material is far to "bright" and you have no grip with it.
Now that the Army is phasing out the green Class A uniform and replacing it with the Dress Blue, with some modification, that will change/improve the ability of the individual to obtain mounted articles. Of course this is a competition/ceremony uniform and not a field uniform.
For those in the field doing mounted ops 90% are wearing the std. DCU/BDU and some are wearing the same modified for mounted use. The new ACUPAT[xx(] design looks like it is actually more compatible to mounted use than the current DCU/BDU, maybe.
Regards,
Ron Smith
As we have so often discussed the Cavalry was not the sole owner of "mounted rights" in the U.S. Army, although they did develop the largest amount of tactics and training in mounted ops.
The Constabulary maintained mounted troops well into the 50's as did some Artillery units. The uniform worn most of the time was the "Ike" jacket with mounted breeches and 3 buckle pattern boots for EM and dress boots for officers. Saddles were not all McClellans however, Stubben saddles were used as well since many troops were posted very near the Stubben shop. I have spoken to U.S. troops and the Stubbens first hand on this to verify it. Macs were the most common though.
When the Brown shoe Army uniform was replaced by the Green suit (ugh)there was not and never has been a Class A mounted uniform since then. There is a Dress blue pattern which uses blue breeches made by Peter Jay in lieu of trousers. This breech is primarily used by the Caisson Platoon at Ft. Myer, Va.
We tried for almost two years to get a Class A mounted breech but the color is locked in by the Army and the only way to get that color duplicated was to run & buy 3K meters from the mill. Even with all of the individual personell who ride in various disciplines there would never be enough riders to buy that much uniform material. We did make up a few pair that were a close match but never correct. BTW, modifying the Class trousers to mounted pattern is futile. The material/design will not conform to a mounted pattern (pegged) and remain presentable, plus the pant will wear out rapidly. Not to mention you might as well ride with grease on your butt as the material is far to "bright" and you have no grip with it.
Now that the Army is phasing out the green Class A uniform and replacing it with the Dress Blue, with some modification, that will change/improve the ability of the individual to obtain mounted articles. Of course this is a competition/ceremony uniform and not a field uniform.
For those in the field doing mounted ops 90% are wearing the std. DCU/BDU and some are wearing the same modified for mounted use. The new ACUPAT[xx(] design looks like it is actually more compatible to mounted use than the current DCU/BDU, maybe.
Regards,
Ron Smith
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Pat Holscher
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Of some note, the Constabulary was mounted on captured German horses at first.
Pat
Pat
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Pat Holscher
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I've linked in a photo contribution by Sam Cox below which provides a really nice example of the Constabulary's appearance.
topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3840
Pat
topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3840
Pat
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Pat Holscher
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Archived threads on the US Constabulary.
topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2496
topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=1626
topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=66
Pat
topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2496
topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=1626
topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=66
Pat
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BlueTrain
I might insert a comment here on colors, helmets and helmet liners.
For some reason the shade of official colors have varied over the years, including our contemporary but apparently unloved Army Green uniform. In the case of the AG uniform, the actual shade has varied very little over the years in issued uniforms, as far as I can tell, but new shade numbers were assigned when new materials were introduced. For what it's worth, I think the currently issued uniform looks a little sharper in the details than the serge uniform they issued me. They only issue one now but I was handed two 40 years ago, so they are being realistic about the expected use. They are also permitted to wear it with a white shirt and bow tie as evening uniform if they don't have blues, which is similar to the pre-war custom of wearing a white shirt and tie as a sort of undress uniform.
Anyhow, back to colors. In armies that authorize rifle green or dark green as a uniform distinction and most armies have at one time or another and some still do, the colors have sometimes varied to almost pure black. For some reason unknown to me, the current US Army black beret has a shade number. How many shades of black are there?
Concerning the M-1 helmet, I believe the same helmet and liner was in use throughout the period it was on issue, aside from paratrooper variations. However, the manner in which it was worn changed sometime in the 1950's or 1960's to allow it to sit higher on the head. It gave it a completely different look.
The helmet liner came with a headband attached with clips and the headband was easily removed (or stolen). At the back of the liner was a short band, for want of a better word, that was supposed to fit against the base of the back of the head. At some point it became a fashion to attach the headband to those points instead of the intended points further up (or deeper into) the helmet liner. If you look at photos from WWII and Korea, it will appear that helmets are covering more of the head and in fact, actually are. They look like they are "pulled down" further, whereas photos during Vietnam will usually show the helmet sitting higher on the head. Likewise, most headgear seems to be worn smaller and literally sitting higher on the head.
One more thing and I'll quit. In the same book I originally referenced there was a photo of more troops standing inspection under arms. The chin straps of their service caps were actually worn down. The caption stated that was a privelege of formerly mounted units.
For some reason the shade of official colors have varied over the years, including our contemporary but apparently unloved Army Green uniform. In the case of the AG uniform, the actual shade has varied very little over the years in issued uniforms, as far as I can tell, but new shade numbers were assigned when new materials were introduced. For what it's worth, I think the currently issued uniform looks a little sharper in the details than the serge uniform they issued me. They only issue one now but I was handed two 40 years ago, so they are being realistic about the expected use. They are also permitted to wear it with a white shirt and bow tie as evening uniform if they don't have blues, which is similar to the pre-war custom of wearing a white shirt and tie as a sort of undress uniform.
Anyhow, back to colors. In armies that authorize rifle green or dark green as a uniform distinction and most armies have at one time or another and some still do, the colors have sometimes varied to almost pure black. For some reason unknown to me, the current US Army black beret has a shade number. How many shades of black are there?
Concerning the M-1 helmet, I believe the same helmet and liner was in use throughout the period it was on issue, aside from paratrooper variations. However, the manner in which it was worn changed sometime in the 1950's or 1960's to allow it to sit higher on the head. It gave it a completely different look.
The helmet liner came with a headband attached with clips and the headband was easily removed (or stolen). At the back of the liner was a short band, for want of a better word, that was supposed to fit against the base of the back of the head. At some point it became a fashion to attach the headband to those points instead of the intended points further up (or deeper into) the helmet liner. If you look at photos from WWII and Korea, it will appear that helmets are covering more of the head and in fact, actually are. They look like they are "pulled down" further, whereas photos during Vietnam will usually show the helmet sitting higher on the head. Likewise, most headgear seems to be worn smaller and literally sitting higher on the head.
One more thing and I'll quit. In the same book I originally referenced there was a photo of more troops standing inspection under arms. The chin straps of their service caps were actually worn down. The caption stated that was a privelege of formerly mounted units.
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Pat Holscher
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by BlueTrain</i>
<br />Concerning the M-1 helmet, I believe the same helmet and liner was in use throughout the period it was on issue, aside from paratrooper variations. However, the manner in which it was worn changed sometime in the 1950's or 1960's to allow it to sit higher on the head. It gave it a completely different look.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Actually the liner did change. During the 1960s a new liner was issued that had some protective qualities itself. It actually was a fairly significant increase in head protection. It looks like the previous liner in appearance, but in a close examination you can tell the difference.
I've seen it claimed by some collectors that the helmet became larger post WWII. I've never seen that supported by Army material, and I'm skeptical that's true. The chin straps changed in design, but I've always thought that the helmets stayed the same. I have two M1 helmets myself, one of which I know was a Navy issue helmet from WWII. I bought it from the widow of a Naval officer who had used it, and it is really quite interesting in appearance. I also have a green one I bought as a toy when I was a kid, as they were really a common item at that time. Maybe it is a WWII one also, but it looks quite similar except for the stubble paint and chin strap. Indeed, they all look in design the same as any other M1 helmet I've ever seen, but maybe I'm not enough of an expert to be able to tell the differences.
Pat
<br />Concerning the M-1 helmet, I believe the same helmet and liner was in use throughout the period it was on issue, aside from paratrooper variations. However, the manner in which it was worn changed sometime in the 1950's or 1960's to allow it to sit higher on the head. It gave it a completely different look.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Actually the liner did change. During the 1960s a new liner was issued that had some protective qualities itself. It actually was a fairly significant increase in head protection. It looks like the previous liner in appearance, but in a close examination you can tell the difference.
I've seen it claimed by some collectors that the helmet became larger post WWII. I've never seen that supported by Army material, and I'm skeptical that's true. The chin straps changed in design, but I've always thought that the helmets stayed the same. I have two M1 helmets myself, one of which I know was a Navy issue helmet from WWII. I bought it from the widow of a Naval officer who had used it, and it is really quite interesting in appearance. I also have a green one I bought as a toy when I was a kid, as they were really a common item at that time. Maybe it is a WWII one also, but it looks quite similar except for the stubble paint and chin strap. Indeed, they all look in design the same as any other M1 helmet I've ever seen, but maybe I'm not enough of an expert to be able to tell the differences.
Pat
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Pat Holscher
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On M1s, one brilliant feature of them is that they do not come in sizes. That may sound strange, but some armies' helmets come in sizes. German helmets, for example, did.
That's really bad planning. After everybody looses their helmet it could be a problem. I have one German helmet that is so small there's no way on earth that a person of normal head size could wear it.
Pat
That's really bad planning. After everybody looses their helmet it could be a problem. I have one German helmet that is so small there's no way on earth that a person of normal head size could wear it.
Pat
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Kelton Oliver
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Ron, what's your source for the statement that the Army is phasing out the dress green uniform in favor of the blue one? I like the idea. The green one is uuuuuuuggglyyyy!
Regarding tne M1 helmet, I believe in about the later 60's the steel helmet was made slightly lower crown or less deeper then the original helmets. I can only base this on several photos I have seen on some sites showing a WWII helmet and a later helmet side by side. I only have WWII helmets so I personally can't compare the two. Apparently the earlier helmet liner doesn't fit as well in the later helmet either. Ray
RayG/Wisconsin
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Pat Holscher
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Kelton Oliver</i>
<br />Ron, what's your source for the statement that the Army is phasing out the dress green uniform in favor of the blue one? I like the idea. The green one is uuuuuuuggglyyyy!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
That was announced sometime last year. There may be some information on it on official Army sites.
Pat
<br />Ron, what's your source for the statement that the Army is phasing out the dress green uniform in favor of the blue one? I like the idea. The green one is uuuuuuuggglyyyy!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
That was announced sometime last year. There may be some information on it on official Army sites.
Pat
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dallas Φ
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Actually the M1 helmet and liner changed several times over the years. The first liner was a fiber type made by the Hawley Co. and was similar in construction to the tropical sun helmet. It was adopted in 1941 as a temporary measure to allow the new steel shell to be used. It was extremely fragile, but the Army contracted for 3,900,000. The next types were low-pressure plastic liners made by St. Clair Rubber Co. and Hood Rubber Co. The St. Clair was made of resin-impregnated duckcloth and the Hood was of resin-impregnated high-count cotton sheeting. Neither of these liners were considered the answer but they were used to buy time for the manufacturers of high-pressure plastic liners to get into production. The high-pressure liners were made by Inland Division of General Motors, Westinghouse (Micarta Division), Capac, Mine Safety Appliances, Seaman Paper Co., International Molded Plastics, and the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
The steel helmet shell of early WWII had the rim closure in the front and had fixed chinstrap loops. Later the chinstrap loops were made flexible and near the end of the war or just after, the rim closure was moved to the rear of the helmet.
The same style of high-pressure liner was used during the Korean War and on through the 1950s, although the insignia eyelet was removed in 1956. In 1963 the liner was redesigned and was then made with resin-impregnated nylon. For the first time, the description included the word "ballistic" to imply some protection from the liner itself. The suspension system was also redesigned at that time. Instead of the old neckband, the new liner employed a band that was buckled into the liner at the back and each side and cradled the back of the head somewhat like the suspension on an industrial hard hat. The last change to the M1 liner occurred in the early 1970s when the web suspension system was made removable. As far as I know, the steel shell remained basically unchanged after WWII except for changes in the chinstrap and its attachment.
Dallas
The steel helmet shell of early WWII had the rim closure in the front and had fixed chinstrap loops. Later the chinstrap loops were made flexible and near the end of the war or just after, the rim closure was moved to the rear of the helmet.
The same style of high-pressure liner was used during the Korean War and on through the 1950s, although the insignia eyelet was removed in 1956. In 1963 the liner was redesigned and was then made with resin-impregnated nylon. For the first time, the description included the word "ballistic" to imply some protection from the liner itself. The suspension system was also redesigned at that time. Instead of the old neckband, the new liner employed a band that was buckled into the liner at the back and each side and cradled the back of the head somewhat like the suspension on an industrial hard hat. The last change to the M1 liner occurred in the early 1970s when the web suspension system was made removable. As far as I know, the steel shell remained basically unchanged after WWII except for changes in the chinstrap and its attachment.
Dallas
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Kelton Oliver</i>
<br />Ron, what's your source for the statement that the Army is phasing out the dress green uniform in favor of the blue one? I like the idea. The green one is uuuuuuuggglyyyy!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
My sources are my BN CO, the former XO of the 124 Cav, and CSGM Tinney's remarks at Ft. Bliss in 2004. No definative answer was given for the exact switch , nor has a determination been made on the shirt change. Some say gray for Class A and white for Dress, but?.........
Regards,
Ron Smith
<br />Ron, what's your source for the statement that the Army is phasing out the dress green uniform in favor of the blue one? I like the idea. The green one is uuuuuuuggglyyyy!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
My sources are my BN CO, the former XO of the 124 Cav, and CSGM Tinney's remarks at Ft. Bliss in 2004. No definative answer was given for the exact switch , nor has a determination been made on the shirt change. Some say gray for Class A and white for Dress, but?.........
Regards,
Ron Smith
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Pat Holscher
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I'd heard the same thing as Ron, and also read an item about it. But I wonder if it might have gone by the wayside as the Army's adopting a new field uniform:
http://www.army.mil/symbols/Comabatflash.html
Not too sure what I think about the camo scheme here. The new USMC ones (one for temperate and one for desert) looks better. And I'm not too sure I like the boots either, but then the US Army almost always has less than perfect boots.
Pat
http://www.army.mil/symbols/Comabatflash.html
Not too sure what I think about the camo scheme here. The new USMC ones (one for temperate and one for desert) looks better. And I'm not too sure I like the boots either, but then the US Army almost always has less than perfect boots.
Pat
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="" face="" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dallas
[br]Actually the M1 helmet and liner changed several times over the years. The first liner was a fiber type made by the Hawley Co. and was similar in construction to the tropical sun helmet. It was adopted in 1941 as a temporary measure to allow the new steel shell to be used. It was extremely fragile, but the Army contracted for 3,900,000. The next types were low-pressure plastic liners made by St. Clair Rubber Co. and Hood Rubber Co. The St. Clair was made of resin-impregnated duckcloth and the Hood was of resin-impregnated high-count cotton sheeting. Neither of these liners were considered the answer but they were used to buy time for the manufacturers of high-pressure plastic liners to get into production. The high-pressure liners were made by Inland Division of General Motors, Westinghouse (Micarta Division), Capac, Mine Safety Appliances, Seaman Paper Co., International Molded Plastics, and the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
The steel helmet shell of early WWII had the rim closure in the front and had fixed chinstrap loops. Later the chinstrap loops were made flexible and near the end of the war or just after, the rim closure was moved to the rear of the helmet.
The same style of high-pressure liner was used during the Korean War and on through the 1950s, although the insignia eyelet was removed in 1956. In 1963 the liner was redesigned and was then made with resin-impregnated nylon. For the first time, the description included the word "ballistic" to imply some protection from the liner itself. The suspension system was also redesigned at that time. Instead of the old neckband, the new liner employed a band that was buckled into the liner at the back and each side and cradled the back of the head somewhat like the suspension on an industrial hard hat. The last change to the M1 liner occurred in the early 1970s when the web suspension system was made removable. As far as I know, the steel shell remained basically unchanged after WWII except for changes in the chinstrap and its attachment.
Dallas
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
[br]Actually the M1 helmet and liner changed several times over the years. The first liner was a fiber type made by the Hawley Co. and was similar in construction to the tropical sun helmet. It was adopted in 1941 as a temporary measure to allow the new steel shell to be used. It was extremely fragile, but the Army contracted for 3,900,000. The next types were low-pressure plastic liners made by St. Clair Rubber Co. and Hood Rubber Co. The St. Clair was made of resin-impregnated duckcloth and the Hood was of resin-impregnated high-count cotton sheeting. Neither of these liners were considered the answer but they were used to buy time for the manufacturers of high-pressure plastic liners to get into production. The high-pressure liners were made by Inland Division of General Motors, Westinghouse (Micarta Division), Capac, Mine Safety Appliances, Seaman Paper Co., International Molded Plastics, and the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
The steel helmet shell of early WWII had the rim closure in the front and had fixed chinstrap loops. Later the chinstrap loops were made flexible and near the end of the war or just after, the rim closure was moved to the rear of the helmet.
The same style of high-pressure liner was used during the Korean War and on through the 1950s, although the insignia eyelet was removed in 1956. In 1963 the liner was redesigned and was then made with resin-impregnated nylon. For the first time, the description included the word "ballistic" to imply some protection from the liner itself. The suspension system was also redesigned at that time. Instead of the old neckband, the new liner employed a band that was buckled into the liner at the back and each side and cradled the back of the head somewhat like the suspension on an industrial hard hat. The last change to the M1 liner occurred in the early 1970s when the web suspension system was made removable. As far as I know, the steel shell remained basically unchanged after WWII except for changes in the chinstrap and its attachment.
Dallas
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
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Pat Holscher
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Pat, good to see you post, but I think your text got lost!
Pat
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deddygetty
All of the Constabulary regiments had as a part of their organization a Regimental Horse Platoon, for patrolling those areas unreachable by vehicle. They were also used for parades and ceremonies, as in one of the biggest Cavalry scams in military history as far as I'm concerned.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which became the 2nd Constabulary Regiment after WW II, was largely responsible for the formation of the Constabulary. They designed the lightning bolt insignia and motto, their Troop D was used as a model for the mechanized Constabulary troops, and the 2nd Constabulary Regiment was the first to staff the Constabulary school at Sonthofen. The first commander of the Constabulary, Gen. Harmon, commanded a squadron of the 2nd Cavalry during WW I. Only a unit such as this could pull off the scam that they did.
"By Brig. Gen. Raymond E. Bell Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.)
It was an impressive sight. Upon the reviewing stand as honored guest was General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe. It was an autumn day in October 1946, in Munich, Germany, and he was taking the pass in review of the 2nd Constabulary Regiment. At the head of the formation the regimental commander, Colonel Charles Reed, a seasoned cavalryman, rode on a handsome charger. He was followed by a platoon of mounted soldiers which trotted in front of a khaki-clad band. Behind the musicians came the regiment’s motorized and mechanized vehicles, all fully manned. As the last element passed down the Munich street, all observers agreed the parade was a huge success, and the regiment was praised for its performance.
The Americans in postwar Germany staged many such parades, but this one was unique. Unbeknownst to Eisenhower, and surely to everybody else outside the 2nd Constabulary Regiment, not every participant in uniform was an American soldier. Half the troopers mounted on horseback, most of the musicians, and a portion of the crews in vehicles were......"
Anybody care to take a guess? Here are pictures of the parade and reviewing stand.
http://elpaso.ezoshosting.com/~dragoons ... _photo.php
http://elpaso.ezoshosting.com/~dragoons ... _photo.php
Don't attract gunfire. It irritates the people around you.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which became the 2nd Constabulary Regiment after WW II, was largely responsible for the formation of the Constabulary. They designed the lightning bolt insignia and motto, their Troop D was used as a model for the mechanized Constabulary troops, and the 2nd Constabulary Regiment was the first to staff the Constabulary school at Sonthofen. The first commander of the Constabulary, Gen. Harmon, commanded a squadron of the 2nd Cavalry during WW I. Only a unit such as this could pull off the scam that they did.
"By Brig. Gen. Raymond E. Bell Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.)
It was an impressive sight. Upon the reviewing stand as honored guest was General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe. It was an autumn day in October 1946, in Munich, Germany, and he was taking the pass in review of the 2nd Constabulary Regiment. At the head of the formation the regimental commander, Colonel Charles Reed, a seasoned cavalryman, rode on a handsome charger. He was followed by a platoon of mounted soldiers which trotted in front of a khaki-clad band. Behind the musicians came the regiment’s motorized and mechanized vehicles, all fully manned. As the last element passed down the Munich street, all observers agreed the parade was a huge success, and the regiment was praised for its performance.
The Americans in postwar Germany staged many such parades, but this one was unique. Unbeknownst to Eisenhower, and surely to everybody else outside the 2nd Constabulary Regiment, not every participant in uniform was an American soldier. Half the troopers mounted on horseback, most of the musicians, and a portion of the crews in vehicles were......"
Anybody care to take a guess? Here are pictures of the parade and reviewing stand.
http://elpaso.ezoshosting.com/~dragoons ... _photo.php
http://elpaso.ezoshosting.com/~dragoons ... _photo.php
Don't attract gunfire. It irritates the people around you.