Thought I'd put in a request on behalf of the newly formed 'we want obscure things that nobody else wants' club....membership....1.
Having scoured the tinterwebs for pics from argentine sources, a good number of Brits (Gurkha troops especially so) can be seen still wearing the old lid without covers and as unlikely as having them made is I thought it preferable to ask rather than subject my precious claws to the horrors of green stuff.
I'll post a pic tomorrow if I can remember the site they were on, really quite a different look from the usual and worth having some me thinks.
Cheers
Ry
Hi Ryman
First welcome to the forum. Three points
1. The Mk4 helmet - I do not believe it was issued with "a cover". Yes there was cam. netting or scrim. Anything to break the distinctive shape and shine of the helmet. The standard scrim was usually rased from MT vehicle cam nets of hessian with plastic leaves. The plastic was dark olive, so often supplemented with local forage to achieve a blend.
2. My only experience of the Ghurkhas in Op Corporate relates to the 1/7th, and they were well scrimed. If you can source images taken in the field that show otherwise they would be of interest as the Johnnies take field craft/personal cam very seriously. I played with them often as Demo Batt. at WSofI. (wargames in a 1/1 scale).
3. The only time I can recall lids without scrim being the norm was early deployment in Op Banner, the Berlin Field Force (urban situation) or Cyprus and indeed Aden. The Irish Army had a policy of sporting bare lids. With the latest Jimmy Dornan movie The Siege of Jadotville, you could have a neat game.
I am afraid it won't be a popular request. But hey suck it and see.
Thanks for the reply sunray, I'm an old hand here though, took a few years off so many won't remember me :(
This is the only pic I was able to find again and only 1 chap without scrim (http://imageshack.com/a/img922/8696/lUuWoW.jpg)
Cheers
Ry
His mates are scrimmed up - I would surmise he could well have lost his net debussing in LZs whilst mopping up Lafonia. The only lifts available were often Scouts - and one shed one's lid to be crammed in! If Johnny officer nodded his chin and told them to scrim their lids they would have all bloody well done it. Perhaps that why he is shy about the camera and avoiding eye contact! Funny blokes them Gurkhas.
Makes sense Sunray, so I'm left with no option but to alter my request.
1 scrimless Gurkha, 1 peed off officer and a cameraman.
Authenticity is everything n all that. ;)
Whenever you're ready Leon. :D
Ta very much
Ry