Category Archives: Asia

The Original Camouflage: Khaki Part VIII – The North Vietnamese Army

While khaki was typically the color uniform of colonial powers, it was also used – alongside with the sun helmet – by the forces of North Vietnam during the conflict with the United States. In 1958 the PAVN (People’s Army of Vietnam) – also known as the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) began a modernization following its war that saw Indo-China “liberated” from French rule. This modernization included efforts to standardize its uniform.

While dark green is typically the color associated with PAVN forces, in the 1965-73 conflict with the United States, khaki and tan uniforms also became prevalent, especially among officers.

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The Conical Hat of Asia

As we previously have noted in our study of the Conical Asian Hat of the Hong Kong Police, this unique version of the sun helmet – known as the “rice hat,” “paddy hat,” or even pejoratively as the “coolie hat” – was one that had been primarily used by civilians. However, in many cases the line between “civilian” and “military” is blurred, especially in times of insurrections and uprisings. In these cases the conical hat, used as much by so-called peasants in the fields, became a headgear of war.

It was also, as the above photo suggests, a form of true military headgear – with the French and British relying on the conical straw hat for use by indigenous troops in South East Asia and China. The above photo shows French Marine Infantry volunteers in French Indo-China circa 1935. Continue reading →

The Original Camouflage: Khaki Part VI – Khaki’s Use in the Empire of the Rising Sun

The Japanese army’s advance on Singapore in late 1941/early 1942 – the khaki uniforms were well suited to the climate

While the European powers utilized khaki during the scramble for Africa and in the final decades of the age of imperialism, it was used in the Pacific as well – by both the United States and the Empire of Japan. The former followed British and European patterns beginning towards the end of the 19th century, while the latter adopted it as it went to war with a major European power at the beginning of the 20th century. Continue reading →

The Original Camouflage: Khaki Part III – German Khaki Through Two World Wars

While late to the race for colonial empire Germany wasted no time trying to catch up, and it soon fitted its armies in khaki uniforms, even as the German presence in her colonies varied widely.

For use in Europe the German army adopted a field gray (“feldgrau”) that proved to be as unsuitable in Africa as the British scarlet had been in India. The Germans thus looked to its own tan-based uniforms. Continue reading →

The Original Camouflage: Khaki Part II – Khaki’s Use Throughout the French Empire of the Third Republic

French soldiers in Madagascar – While officers retained the traditional blue tunics, the ranks wore khaki jackets and shirts

While its origins lay in British India, the use of khaki was not limited to the British Army. By the end of the 19^th century most of the nations of Europe that had colonies overseas had begun to utilize similar colored “tropical” uniforms. One interesting irony is that in many cases European officers and NCOs were outfitted with their “European” style uniforms, while colonial troops wore the khaki colored ones. Many of these colors were never officially deemed “khaki” but the colors were extremely close in practice.

It was Britain’s traditional enemy – and later its closest ally – that soon adopted khaki throughout its global empire.

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The French Colonial Pattern Helmet

The Model 1886 French sun helmet – a pattern known as the “sugar loaf.”

Just at the colonial pattern sun helmet remains an iconic image of Britain’s “Soldiers of the Queen,” this style helmet was worn by the French forces in far flung conflicts. And whereas the British pattern seemed to evolve with numerous nuances and differences in a plethora of patterns and variations, the French military relied on basically two colonial patterns. Continue reading →

Sun Helmets of Thailand

A Thai sun helmet based on the French M31 pattern

Sun helmets were used by nearly all the colonial powers in East Asia an, but three local nations also utilized a wide range of sun/pith helmets. These include of course Japan, which during the Second War World used a variety of patterns of helmets; and Vietnam, which adopted a variation of French Model 1931 that was produced locally and made this pattern its own.

The other power that wore sun helmets is actually the nation that used sun helmets the longest in the region, and which ironically is overlooked when considered in the grand history of this form of headdress. This of course is Thailand, formerly known as Siam. Continue reading →

Military Sun Helmets

Military sun helmets of the world.