The M-1 helmet featured a removable liner that among other uses could be worn as a sun helmet separate from the heavy steel helmet. Since the war with Japan was fought in many tropical locations, camouflage was something that interested the military. The Japanese were well known for their effective use of camouflage and the American military wanted ways to help their soldiers fight back and survive. The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, a maker of M-1 helmet liners, was tasked with the creation of a jungle camouflage liner for tropical areas.
Westinghouse “Jungle” Liner
Front of the Westinghouse “Jungle” Liner
Westinghouse came up with a liner with factory applied sprayed on camouflage. A template was used during production to spray a multi-colored camouflage pattern on the liner, meaning that the camouflage pattern on the liners were identical to each other. The colors chosen were brown and light, medium and dark green applied over the standard green M-1 helmet liner. Westinghouse produced 850,000 camouflaged jungle liners which soon found themselves overseas.
Side of the Westinghouse “Jungle” Camouflage liner
The liners were sent to front line troops and were used in the jungles of the Pacific. Along with other camouflage innovations such as factory made suits and individually applied camouflage, the liners helped American soldiers blend into the scenery and hide from prying enemy eyes. Although covered in combat by a steel helmet, the liners offered protection behind the lines where enemy snipers could still be a problem. The Westinghouse camouflage M-1 helmet liner was issued to all branches of the military, and surviving examples have been found attributed to Army, Navy and Marine Corps veterans.
Interior of the Westinghouse “Jungle” Camouflage liner
Although a good idea in theory, combat tests soon proved that Westinghouse camouflage M-1 helmet liners had limited usefulness and 300,000 unissued liners were ordered to be re-painted to standard green.
US Soldiers wearing the Westinghouse “Jungle” helmet liner during amphibious training exercises
Today, Westinghouse camouflage liners are prized by collectors for their uniqueness and scarcity. The Westinghouse camouflage liner remains an interesting, if not largely forgotten piece of America’s fight in the far off and remote battles of World War Two.
Armed Service Edition Books, The Side Effects of War
Flying Caps of the US Army Air Force
