The 1919 pattern “Helmet, Tank” owes its existence to famous American tanker, George S. Early tank manuals call it such, yet this helmet is usually (incorrectly) called either the World War One tank helmet or the Chaffee helmet by both museums and collectors.įIG.A Three views of the 1919 pattern “Helmet, Tank.” Notice the gray felt lining.

Army for tank crews was called simply the “Helmet, Tank” (FIG.A). The first helmet officially accepted by the U.S. This new helmet also came in a wide range of standard head sizes. This helmet, though similar to the ‘Cavalry Style tank helmet’ had a foamed rubber donut shaped ring encircling the bowl of the new helmet plus leather cup on each side into which radio receivers could be fitted. of Davenport, Iowa for a new tank helmeted called the ‘ Infantry Style tank helmet. In 1938 the Army let out contracts to the Rawlings Sporting goods Co. The “Cavalry Style tank helmet” was evaluated and rejected because it was not size-adjustable and had no provisions for radio receiver headphones. The Infantry Branch of the Army began their own search for a tank helmet for tank crews assigned to the Infantry tank companies. Less than three hundred of these cushioned leather helmets were made and today only three are known to exist in private collections. This helmet was referred to in official correspondence as the ‘Cavalry Style tank helmet’. Louis, Montana in 1936 for their tankers and motorcyclists. Army began looking for a replacement for the ‘1919 Pattern tank helmet’ The experimental Mechanized Cavalry Group purchased a helmet made by the Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. General Chaffee had nothing at all to do with this helmet.īeginning in 1936 the U.S. This was a name created by early helmet collectors because they did not know what the helmet was actually called. This type helmet has been mistakenly called the ‘Chaffee Style’ tank helmet for many years. Arguably the ‘ugly duckling’ of tank helmets it nevertheless remained in service from 1919 until 1940. The new helmet was finally approved for issue in 1919. The ‘AEF Tank Helmet’ was on this list and modified and improved but by the time the process was completed the war was over.

Patton, Jr., then head of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) Light tank School, sent a request to the fledgling Army Tank Corps HQ in Washington, DC requesting several items be procured or designed for tankers.

Larry Munnikhuysen III, a director at the Virginia War Museum.

Tank crewman us with goggles modern