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Remembering Stuart Bates

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of the site’s co-founder Stuart Bates.

As a  friend, he will be sadly missed. He was always willing to assist anyone asking for help, and he routinely provided advice when he could. A dedicated researcher, historian, author and collector, Stuart was instrumental in the history and study of tropical headdress. A lifelong collector, Stuart’s contributions to the helmet world have enlightened and educated countless others. The collecting community is richer for his being a part of it.

This is a loss to his family, friends and colleagues alike. All in all, Stuart was just a nice considerate man. He will be dearly missed. R.I.P. Stuart.

 

The Effectiveness of the Aluminium Foil ‘Drop Lining’ in WWII Wolseley Sun Helmets. A Simple Experiment.

Going through some of my Father’s WWII snap shots, there is one I find more evocative than the others, in which his ten man section is shown shortly after arrival in Egypt in June 1941 (see Figure 1).  They were part of ‘B’ Company, 1st Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment. A group of men which, with losses and additions, he was to fight with, almost continually until mid-1944 when he was seriously wounded during the Normandy Landings.

Figure 1. One ‘section’ of B Company, 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, and some locals, shortly after the soldiers arrival in Egypt, 13 June 1941. Stanley Lewis Saunders (my Father) is marked with an ‘x’. According to my Father they were issued with the ‘pith’ helmets on arrival, but it was soon realized that in the prevailing mobile and fluid conditions the infantry had to have light weight and compact kit. Having two large rigid helmets, i.e. the Mk II steel helmet and a ‘Wolseley’ was impractical. So the Wolseley’s issue to foot soldiers was short lived and they were soon replaced by the slouch hat. It can just be made out that most have puggarees.

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The Sun Helmet of Frederick Charles Denison

The name Frederick Charles Denison may not be as well known as that of Garnet Wolseley, but Denison played an important role in the Sudan Campaign when he commanded the Canadian Voyageurs on the Nile. Denison distinguished himself during the war, and was given prominent mention in dispatches but he also received multiple honors and awards.

Had Denison not taken part in the ill-fated campaign, he still would have left his mark as a militia officer, lawyer, author, businessman and politician. Born to the wealthy and influential Denison family, he was drawn to military service after his older brother Captain George Taylor Denison III became a militia officer. Continue reading →

The Longest Issued RAF Flying Helmet RFC/RAF Cork Aviation Helmet, 1917-1942 22C/13

Figure 1. August 1918. The earliest close-up image found of the ‘Cork Aviation Helmet’, taken at the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force, Flying School, Ismailia, Egypt, worn by Second Lieutenant Spaulding. This is the RFC 1917 Pattern, ‘Helmet, Cork Aviation’, externally the main shell is near identical to later versions, with puggaree, four side vents and a typical ‘sun helmet’ ventilation gap between the headband and shell. The outer covering at this time was made-up of four segments of cloth, a front and side seam can just be made out. A large rear brim can be seen shading the neck; however it has a very narrow and thin front peak, at this time these peaks were not part of the cork shell but were attached to the canvas cover. Soon, at least by mid-1919, the design was ‘revised’, adding a complete brim and extending the front peak slightly to help shade the face. After a 1926-27 review the liner and earflap fixings were also modified; it stayed in that configuration up to 1942. The ear-pockets can be seen to be holding large diameter gosport tube earpieces. (Image, see here). Continue reading →

The Mystery RAF Helmet ‘Helmet, Aviation’ 22C/12

Figure 1. Contemporary documents point to Curtis’s 1916, 2nd patent the ‘Improved “Warren” Safety Helmet’ being the best candidate for the identity of the 1920-1924 RAF listed ‘Helmet, Aviation’ 22C/12. The term ‘Helmets, Aviation’ had been on RFC lists since 1914 and it would seem the term was even then applied to protective helmets of a similar type. The cork structure and the use of vent collets over the ears would imply these helmets were made in the same workshops as sun helmets (images courtesy of Judith Mclay). Continue reading →

Ethiopian Sun Helmets in the Korean War

Ethiopian soldiers on their way to South KoreaEthiopia was one of the 16 nations that made up the United Nations Command (UNC) to fight in the Korean War. The men in Ethiopia’s Kagnew Battalion, which were largely drawn from the Ethiopian Imperial Bodyguard Division of Haile Selassie I. The unit fought alongside the U.S. 7th Infantry Division and took part in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill, earning a U.S. Presidential Unit Citation. Continue reading →

Australian Bandsmen Helmets

While the sun/pith helmet isn’t largely associated with the Australian military, at least not as much as the slouch hat, the helmets are still in use today for those men and women in the military bands. Currently two different units wear a modern-made plastic version of the iconic “colonial pattern” sun helmet.

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