Photo Quiz #2 - Blockhead

[VerKuilen Ager]

Here's a trooper heading off to Africa in October of 1943.

What rank, branch, unit, or other indicator did the green square on the helmet represent? (Difficulty factor - could be hard if this hasn't appeared in a helmet book somewhere.)

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

OK Verkuilen, We give up. What does it represent?

[VerKuilen Ager]

On the one hand, it's gratifying to have dredged through all those thousands of photos and found something that might be new info. On the other, I hate to throw total stumpers out because they aren't much fun. I was hoping, at the least, that someone would say, "hey, I don't know what it means, but I've got a lid with that mark on it." That said, here's the original Signal Corps caption (my tiny, sneaky clue was the word "indicator"):

"The green square on the back of the steel helmets may seem insignificant but it may save lives during a gas attack. If the nostrils or eyes fail to detect the presence of gas the condition can be noted by the fact that the square, chemically treated, has turned red."

The well-known D-Day gas detecting arm devices suggest that this helmet marking didn't work out. It may have been that general environmental polution slowly turned the things red or the chemical efficiency wore off. It may have also been recognized that it wasn't much of a warning device unless the wearer had someone behind them keeping an eye on the detector. One or two G.I.s in a foxhole would likely be keeled over before they took notice of a gas attack. In any event, it appears that the use of this marker had ceased by the end of the African fighting, or the invasion of Italy, and surviving examples must be pretty scarce.

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Thanks for the quiz VA. That one is new to me. Never even heard of it before!

[craig_pickrall]

That is indeed new and interesting info about helmet markings. It's use may have been affected by helmet nets as well. They weren't seen much in North Africa but were in heavy use later.

Any bets on how long before one appears on ebay?

[Jason Roberts]

I also have never heard of this. Thanks for the lesson. Keep them comming.