IDF helmets

[JerryBB]

To my eyes at least, a very interesting helmet, it started life as a WWI British MKI then was refurbished for WWII as a MKI* by the stripping it back to bare metal, a repaint, new chinstrap lugs and it would have had a new liner and chinstrap at the same time. It was at some point treated to a thick textured green camo paint. Later again it was given another coat of thick brown camo paint and a new liner which is riveted into the dome and a replacement chinstrap, both if Israeli manufacture and I am fairly certain the brown camo paint was done at the same time. Later it was given a red Star of David medics flash incised into the textured paint, overpainted red & white and then probably repainted yet again at a later date.

[leigh kitchen]

A nice helmet, "full" of history and no doubt unappreciated by collectors in the past.

[JerryBB]

IDF MI clone, Israeli made with a 1970 date on the shell, possibly 1982 on one of the liner straps, with an Israeli net and British para chin strap. both shell and liner are marked with the IDF Zahal צ acceptance mark.

[leigh kitchen]

I know little about Israeli "M1's" but find them a lot more interesting than the various other versions.

[JerryBB]

thanks Leigh. It seems only you and I are interested in these, though this is a British badge forum so perhaps not a surprise.


IDF Orlite 201 late 1970's early 1980's, I believe these were the first production modern composite ballistic helmet. It has a cut up woodlands camo garment glued to it as a camo cover and is named inside and out in Hebrew.

[leigh kitchen]

You can't beat a bit of personalisation, something that makes a helmet, a badge, a medal attributable.
I've missed so much Ch in terms of headgear as I was a very late starter in collecting it and when I did start collecting helmets, caps and berets I didn't spread my net very wide.