Garand Picture of the day Marines - Samoa 1942

[Mark in Rochester]

Leathernecks get their first good look at a new base in the South Pacific from a Higgins boat. These Marines made the initial landing with full pack, rifles BAR's and other equipment essential to a landing party. Samoa Area - October 1942

Early in the Pacific theater the 7th Marines formed the nucleus of the newly created 3rd Marine Brigade and arrived to defend Samoa on May 8, 1942. Later they were redeployed from the Brigade and on September 4, 1942, they left Samoa and rejoined the 1st Division at Guadalcanal on September 18, 1942.

[Mark in Rochester]

What do the photo analysts say?

[Dan Shapiro]

I would think that by the time the Marines finally went to the M1, they wouldn't have gotten any gas traps.

[BruceV]

Immediately to the left of the soldier whose helmet has some sort of netting material visible is a soldier wearing a helmet that does not appear to be of the same type as those worn by the other men. Is this just my error or is this some other type of US helmet that would have been issues/worn? Sincerely. Bruce.

[RCS]

Here is a photo of an April 1940 gas trap

[stonewall56]

He's wearing the old style tin hat worn until 1942.

[chriskat]

The tin hat is similar/identical to the British isn't it? Could that guy be a Brit? I also note that he appears to be carrying no gear, anything else different about him?

[Bill Hollinger]

Early on the Marines used the "Dough Boy" type helmet. I think that is a gas trap.

[Larry G.]

That's what I thought when I zoomed in.

[twobravo]

One also has a "DI" hat on his pack, Top left center.

[twobravo]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/TwoBravo/twa.jpg

[TerryS]

The guy in the old tin hat and no pack is probably a sailor. And the British and American old style tin hats were differently shaped.

[Mark in Rochester]

Interesting that compared to all the other Garand's the gas cylinder of one stands out so much.

A landing boat load of curious Leathernecks approaches the sand and coarl strip which they will call home for the next 7 months. Samoan Area - October 1942

[TerryS]

I seem to have replied earlier to the wrong thread. The man in the old tin hat and no pack is probably a sailor. And the British syle and American were different. The "DI hat" may be a garrison cover in its wicker carrier, or a pith helmet ?

[conductor]

One also has a "DI" hat on his pack, Top left center.

That's not a "DI hat", that's a pith helmet, AKA "sun helmet", worn by Marines throughout the WW2 era. My next-door neighbor wore one in boot camp in 1943, and has a picture of him wearing khakis, boondockers, and a sun helmet that was taken at MCRD San Diego.
Also, DIs didn't start wearing the campaign hat until about 1960.

[Bill Hollinger]

TwoBravo, it's a Pith helmet.

[CapnJohn]

M1917(A1) Helmet
In 1917, when the US Army entered WWI a new model helmet was adopted. This was the M1917, a copy of the British helmet. It soon turned out that the design had some major flaws, of which the poor protection of the side and rear of the head and the instability were the most important. To address this second issue a new suspension was designed, and in early 1936 a Field Modification Order was dispatched, ordering that all M1917 helmets were to be fitted with the new suspension and a new chinstrap. These modified helmets were designated as the M1917A1. the new suspension was made of steel strips, padded with leather. In the crown a leather pad was placed. The new chinstraps were made of khaki webbing, and closed with a hook and arrow buckle. The same chinstrap would also be fitted to the later M1 helmet. It was looped through the bales of the shell and then sewn to the loops fixed to the suspension itself.

When at the end of the 1930's war came ever closer in Europe the Rock Island Arsenal issued a contract in 1940 to the McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Corporation for nearly 2 million newly produced M1917A1 helmets. When about 900.000 new helmets were delivered the rest of the contract was terminated in favour of the new type M1combat helmet. The helmets of the 1940 contract have "17A" stamped behind the rim seam. Although a throwback to WWI and obsolete, the M1917A1 helmet was the primary combat helmet for the US forces in early WWII.

[CapnJohn]

During the Anglo-Zulu War, British troops dyed their white pith helmets with tea for camouflage. Soon khaki-coloured pith helmets became standard issue for service as well.

Pith helmets were widely worn during World War I by British Empire, Turkish, Belgian, French and German colonial troops fighting in the Middle East and Africa.

Helmets of this style (but without true pith construction) were used as late as World War II by European and American military personnel in hot climates. Included in this category are the sun helmets worn in North Africa by Italian troops, South African Army and Air Force units and Germany's Afrika Korps, as well as similar helmets used to a more limited extent by U.S. and Japanese [3] forces in the Pacific Theater. The entire military of the America's colony the Philippines, which consisted of an army and a gendarmerie, used sun helmets. The U.S. Marine Corps used pith helmets called "elephant hats" in the South Pacific. They were also worn by recruits in United States Marine Corps Boot Camp. The Axis Second Philippine Republic's military, known as the Bureau of Constabulary, as well as other guerrilla groups in the Philippines was another user of sun helmets. The British Army formally abolished the tropical helmet in 1948.
Above courtesy of WikiPedia

[twobravo]

Thanks for all the info on the pith helmet. I knew what it was, I just didn't know how to spell it.

[mousegun]

One also has a "DI" hat on his pack, Top left center.
Pith Helmet.

oops! nevermind...

[CapnJohn]

Pithy according to Bill O'Reilly :madsmile:
pithy (comparative more pithy or pithier, superlative most pithy or pithiest)

Positive pithy
Comparative more pithy or pithier
Superlative most pithy or pithiest


Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief.
Concise and full of meaning.
Tersely cogent.
Of, like, or abounding in pith.

[beachbumbob]

TY Captain,

You kept me out of trouble cause I was gonna comment about how this thread had turned a little pithy! {But still highly educational}

Bob

[TDH]

Knowing someone that actually landed on the Canal in the 2nd wave he said that they didn't have the M1 at that time. Harry said that the had the 03's, BAR's, thompson's and some Johnson's. The 1st M1's were brought in by the army.

[Dan Shapiro]

That was some thread. Glad no one got pithed off! Hahahahahaha!
Sorry, it's the Bushmills's.:runaway:

[RBruce]

The odd helmet is probably a M1917A1, the other hat mentioned looks like a tropic light weight.