WW2 Canadian use of M1 Helmets

BUSHMAN79

BUSHMAN79

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I was aware that the Canadians sent to the Aleutians wore M1 Helmets. However, I was looking through some pictures of the RCAF flying boat station at Alliford Bay, Queen Charlotte Islands, taken around 1943. One pic shows a soldier peeking out of a sandbag shelter, armed with a No.4 rifle. I am almost certain he is wearing an M1 helmet! Is it possible? :confused:
 
It is very possible. Canada ended up purchasing 200,000 M1 helmets early in 1943, turns out they couldn't cancel the order because they had already been delivered.
Most of them ended up being used by Pacific Command, while others went to equip troops on the West Coast and other places in Canada. 18 Brigade on the West Coast also wore them in Canada and in the Caribbean.

Roger Lucy's book "Tin Lids" has a very good section dealing with the whole purchase and use of the M1 during the war.
 
I'm not sure if directly posting a link is against the rules here on CGN but I figure it's probably alright because this is straight from the Library and Archives of Canada which is officially run by the federal government.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/...ontentInd=1&query=first+special+service+force

Here are quite a few images of Canadian soldiers who served in the 1st Special Service Force (Devil's Brigade) wearing American M1 helmets during WWII.
 
I have a full set of the Canadian Army Training Memorandums (CATM) which were issued in WW2. I've seen a pic or 2 of troops wearing the M1 Helmet in WW2 training camps in Canada. Who knows how or why; they were just there. It's getting pretty tough to find the WW2-style fixed bale M1 Helmets nowadays. I was in various field units from the early 1960s and remember being issued this type when I arrived in a unit as late as 1971. After that I think we pretty much had the later type where the chinstraps fastened to the steel loops on the helmet with the metal snap ends. Also, the cloth 2 color US helmet covers replaced the earlier mesh style starting in the late 1960s.
 
There is a picture in one of my books of RCAF personnel at Bella Bella, they are armed with M 1917's and wear strange webbing. Looks like 1908 web belts, with new made pouches similar to the cartridge carriers for .303 SAA, but with three or four pouches. Must look at the picture again.....
 
BUSHMAN79 said:
There is a picture in one of my books of RCAF personnel at Bella Bella, they are armed with M 1917's and wear strange webbing. Looks like 1908 web belts, with new made pouches similar to the cartridge carriers for .303 SAA, but with three or four pouches. Must look at the picture again.....
Click to expand...

Sounds like RCAF Pattern 1925 web gear.
 
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