517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team - Helmets

Helmets

During World War II, the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment was part of the First Airborne Task Force, that had the mission of jumping behind enemy lines in south eastern France for Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944.

It is thought that during the preparation for this combat jump, it was noted that there was a serious lack of paratrooper helmets available for use by the unit. To palliate this lack, standard infantry M1 helmets were specially modified by the unit riggers, with a new chinstrap being installed. The infantry standard chinstrap was shortened on both sides, and a replacement buckle and makeshift chincup was sewn into place. The modified chinstrap was designed to fit to the wearers chin as tightly as possible, so as to avoid losing the helmet during the jump.

This type of modified helmet is remarkable as the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team is the only unit of the US army to have used it during WW2. It is a rare example where an entire unit modified its helmets and wore them into combat. This is interesting from a helmet collectors perspective, as well as from a historical perspective, since the modified helmets can immediately be traced back to the 517th PRCT and Operation Dragoon. It is suspected that approximately 3,000 such helmets were made, most of which were camouflaged with spray paint as well, adding to the unique look of these helmets.

Nowadays, 517 PRCT helmets are extremely rare, and are usually found in southern-eastern France where Operation Dragoon occurred; or in northeastern France and Belgium, where the 517th PRCT fought in the Battle of the Bulge after departing southern France.