The Army (and I must assume Marines also) got upgraded chinstraps for the steel pot helmet in the 1960s. They actually restarted the production line briefly in the Vietnam period. For WW2 helmets it would be a retrofit.
There is a pretty strong chance our helmets were made in WWII even though my ship did not launch until 1956. I could well see the Navy having a large number of helmets in warehouses on every base. It is not like we were issued helmets, they were just part of the equipment in the DC* lockers.
That ball-and-hook T1 chinstrap is quite difficult to undo, not surprising many people left it undone.
By the 1980s a new chinstrap was available, in nylon, which differed considerably.
Paul Fussel writes in The Boy’s Crusade that the belief in being decapitated by close in artillery fire was the reason, and he thinks it began as a practical joke. He was a combat infantryman in Europe. The site with Patton decorating the unstrapped soldier is great. Did Generals have to wear a chinstrap?
From what I’ve read, Patton had the respect of his men. War department people noticed that his soldiers would invariably described themselves as members or the Third Army or
" I’m with Patton". Other soldiers would name their company or platoon. Few ever said they were with Bradley or Hodges.
Patton was also very good at inflicting severe damage on the enemy while minimizing his own casualties. Like Sherman a century earlier, his soldiers appreciated it.
Every soldier who has ever worn a helmet knows it’s uncomfortable even in ideal situations. In damp, grimy field conditions, a chinstrap rubbing on a half day of stubble is a recipe for pain and rashes, to the point that you’re willing to decide that the chance of enemy action is too remote to justify the discomfort. Granted, this may not be a wise judgment, but it is driven by very real discomfort.
I interviewed a Korean and Viet Nam war vet (on tape) for hours once and this came up. He said that uniform standards in the field we very poor. Guns not always manned, personal protective gear not worn properly (helmets included) etc. most of the time. Keep in mind that actual fire fights were few and far between. But he said when the crap hit the fan, everything was buckled up, loaded up and manned within seconds!
So I think at least part of this is that photos that show GIs without chinstraps are taken on the front perhaps, but not during battle. And during an actual fight when the chin straps might well be in place, there just aren’t many photos. And I think other countries military might have be more strict in noncombat
situations.
Robert Capa’s photos seem to back this up. The soldiers’ helmets are strapped on whilein action, but the straps are off when it’s quiet and also while atease (Note that he last picture is of war photographers, not soldiers.)
Bah. Real Combat Infantry considered HtH a extremely low risk. However, my Dad (who had that badge) and fought in New Guinea said that you could not wear your helmet in that climate, your head would either rot or bake.
I thought Patton was regarded as brave (“Patton had a preoccupation with bravery, wearing his rank insignia conspicuously in combat, and at one point during World War I rode atop a tank into a German-controlled village seeking to inspire courage in his men.” Wiki), brilliant (“‘Patton’s impact on armored warfare and leadership were substantial’.” Wiki) and very popular amongst his men too. But my knowledge is rudimentary (the autobiography, some book I can’t remember, the wiki article, and - of course - the film, ;), being my sources.)
But you seem to have another picture of him? Would you like to elaborate a little bit?
(Sorry for the hijack, but the original question seems to have been answered by now.)
He does not mean that Patton was “chicken” but that he was a stickler for spit and shine by the book grooming. “Chicken Shit” petty stuff that no one wanted to be bothered with. Patton felt it would in the long run improve moral and thus performance.
(Because if you care about attention to detail in the trivial you’ll care about it in the serious, is the line of thought.)
In the picture, notice that the soldier being decorated has his chinstrap neatly secured around the back rim of the helmet – it’s likely that in that command the rule was that you do NOT just leave it dangling, it’s buckled if in battle and it’s tucked back (that specific way) if at ceremonies. The original chinstraps were not very easily detachable/reattachable if suddenly your rear echelon came under attack.
