Big Red here with a question from "Marty McFly"...
So, TAKE FIVE!
Marty asks,
"Big Red, what's the deal with those WWII camouflage liners?"
Well, Marty,
These liners were painted to help soldiers in Pacific jungles blend in.
In early 1942, activity surrounding the development and manufacture of the M-1 helmet assembly was frantic at best. The Army finally decided to leave the future of the helmet body with the Ordnance Department and to transfer the responsibility for the liner assembly to the Quartermaster Corps. The Army assigned the Chicago Quartermaster Depot (CQMD) the responsibility for the development and procurement of the M-1 liner, immediately setting out to address defects and improve comfort and quality wherever possible.
The quartermaster had been exploring ways to enhance the camouflage characteristics of all uniforms and gear under their supervision, and the helmet liner, now under their purview, was no different. The Quartermaster aiming to break up its profile in a jungle environment, decided to add a camouflage pattern to the liner. In late February 1942, the Quartermaster issued the first contract for liners modified for jungle troops to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company.
The Chicago Quartermaster Depot deferred to Westinghouse for the development of the camouflage pattern and its application method. A series of three different greens and a brown, applied by airbrush over the liner's paint through a series of stencils, gave the pattern a distinct and uniform look.
Westinghouse was able to streamline the process in a way that they could produce an average of 10,000 camouflaged liners a day.
Under contract, Westinghouse modified approximately 854,225 liner bodies at an average cost of $1.58 per liner. Camouflage liners were referred to as “modified” because the pattern was applied to liner bodies that had already been finished. Liners to be treated with the camouflage pattern were to be pulled from completed stocks of liner assemblies Westinghouse had from previous contracts, making the five contracts issued for the modification of liners for Jungle Troops only for the application of the camouflage pattern. The CQMD issued the first contract for jungle troop modification on February 28, 1942, and the last one on March 26, 1943.
And Marty, if your friends want to know how you gained your intel, tell em
Big Red Says!
FIVE'S OVER - MOVE OUT!
- (Update to previous post) Finally, Able to Find/ Buy a ‘real-one’ (Wartime (Westinghouse) mfgr/ painted “Jungle” Camo Liner; Correct/ Real (despite a collector friends skepticism about anything not ‘beat-up’/ he can’t afford) & overall very Expensive ! To Me, filling this collection gap (since ‘96) nearly like the ’holy-grail’ of collecting . . . .
OK , Heres a question. How did the Viet nam era camo cover come to be called the Mitchell cover? Mike Ferraro
Well, every time I put my Jmurrayinc@1944.com jungle liner on display at shows, I get offered huge amounts of cash ! No way ! I love that liner !
- For on-going info, would love to know some of the “known” production methods used to apply the camouflage paint (I think perhaps/ MAYBE a ‘cup’/ cover type (fiber/ cardboard ?) mask fitted over the exterior Liner w/ cut-outs indexed for specific colors, (for the consistently I’ve noticed) applied w/ spray gun(s) (?) – perhaps w/ brief heat lamp drying in-between colors; Or was ‘it’ as as simple as applied frisket masking with a “dialed-down” spray ? One idea I’ve also heard was the use of an Airbrush . . . seems more improbable, especially ‘frre-hand’;
- Also would love to know what exact paint colors were applied, as known;
- As far as collecting goes; After “collecting G.I.” mostly since ‘96, still DON’T own a “real-one” (just a very nice copy (FOR DISPLAY) from a seller/ creator on a well-known Internet Auction website – fresh camo on a nice mid-war original Westinghouse Liner. Looks GREAT to my eyes ! (AND AN EASILY AFFORDABLE Alternate to the ‘beat-up" originals that usually look as if they went on an extended tour on Guadalcanal, followed by a long R & R stay-on New Britain !) Over many years, have been ’teased’ by elusive stories of "nice-ones’ someone MIGHT be willing to sell at the “next-show” . . . . (LAST major type Liner variation, I still need – as original (but I’m always happy to learn/ see more.
Great info, I do wish an original was available. I should have pulled the trigger years ago on one of Josh’s versions.
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