Modèle 1951 helmet

Modèle 1951 helmet of the French Army. This particular helmet is on display as an ex-voto at Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille. The back of the helmet is slightly bent, suggesting that it was hit by a shrapnel and saved its owner.

The Modèle 1951 helmet was a military helmet used by the French military (Army, Navy, Air Force and Gendarmerie), iconic of the Algerian War. It replaced a variety of helmets used during the Second World War, notably the Modèle 1945 helmet and the M1 Helmet.

Development

The Modèle 1951 was designed to have the same general shape as the US M1 Helmet, in an effort towards standardisation within NATO. The two differ in that the M1 has a longer visor and a more pronounced downwards slope on the sides.

Description

The Modèle 1951 comprised a heavy external cover, made of 1.2 mm of an amagnetic alloy of manganese steel, and a lighter inner helmet.

The Modèle 1951 was produced until 1976, before being superseded by the Modèle 1978 helmet. It nonetheless remained in service well into the 1980s.

Operators

• France - French Armed Forces, Gendarmerie Nationale
• South Vietnam - Republic of Vietnam Military Forces
• South Africa - South African Defence Force
• Cambodia - Khmer National Armed Forces
• Kingdom of Laos - Royal Lao Armed Forces, Royal Lao Police
• Lebanon - Lebanese Armed Forces, Internal Security Forces
• Israel - Israel Defense Forces
• Portugal - Portuguese Army, Portuguese Republican National Guard
• Rhodesia - Rhodesian Army

Non-state operators

• Army of Free Lebanon
• Lebanese Forces
• Lebanese Arab Army
• South Lebanon Army
• Hezbollah
• UNITA
• Palestine Liberation Organization

See also

• Modèle 1978 helmet
• SPECTRA helmet

External links

• Le modèle militaire 1951
• le casque français modèle 1951