*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 12:19:40 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 1686597
  • Total Topics: 118110
  • Online Today: 619
  • Online Ever: 2235
  • (October 29, 2023, 12:32:45 AM)
Users Online

Recent

Author Topic: WWII / WWI French helmet question  (Read 784 times)

Offline Calimero

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Galactic Brain
  • *
  • Posts: 5758
WWII / WWI French helmet question
« on: February 01, 2024, 01:21:28 PM »
I’ve bought a box of Warlords WWII French Infantry plastic figures. I thought that I could use some of them to beef up my Late WWI collection. I noticed that the helmet don’t have the flaming grenade like I expected but rather a disc which contain a cuirass with the letter RF (République Française). I was wondering if this type of helmet where the norm in 1936-1940 and if the older type, with the flaming grenade, was still used.

From the material I’ve read about WWI, the flaming grenade was supposed to be for the metropolitan infantry troops but was widely used by others like artillery crew and colonial troops. Was it also the case in WWII? Did they make do with what was available?


Cheers!  8)
A CANADIAN local hobby store with a small selection of historical wargames miniatures (mainly from Warlords). They also have a great selection of paint and hobby accessories from Vallejo, Army painter, AK Interactive, Green Stuff World and more.; https://www.kingdomtitans.ca/us/

Offline SJWi

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1638
Re: WWII / WWI French helmet question
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2024, 09:48:25 AM »
Calimero, I have a copy of Histories et Collections "Le Soldat Francais 1940". Its in French but beggars couldn't be choosers. In the section on helmets there is a picture of the disc with the cuirass, plus a helmet and the latters RF ( Republique Francaise?)  . My noddy French plus Google translate says this was the insignia of Engineers, military railway and military  "telegraphy" ( Communications?). A bit niche but that's what the book says and its normally pretty correct. 

Offline Calimero

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Galactic Brain
  • *
  • Posts: 5758
Re: WWII / WWI French helmet question
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2024, 05:02:43 PM »
Calimero, I have a copy of Histories et Collections "Le Soldat Francais 1940". Its in French but beggars couldn't be choosers. In the section on helmets there is a picture of the disc with the cuirass, plus a helmet and the latters RF ( Republique Francaise?)  . My noddy French plus Google translate says this was the insignia of Engineers, military railway and military  "telegraphy" ( Communications?). A bit niche but that's what the book says and its normally pretty correct.

They are usually right… that would implied that the Warlords French Infantry box have none of the proper helmet type for "regular infantry"  :?

Offline SJWi

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1638
Re: WWII / WWI French helmet question
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2024, 05:18:53 PM »
Sadly I concur. From what I can see most troops had the "flaming grenade", Light and Alpine troops a hunting horn, Zouaves and North Africans a crescent and Colonial troops an anchor. The Cuirass/Helmet combination is a most odd choice.

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
11 Replies
7973 Views
Last post October 15, 2007, 05:33:29 PM
by revford
19 Replies
3703 Views
Last post July 28, 2010, 09:29:08 PM
by Plynkes
7 Replies
3186 Views
Last post March 20, 2012, 09:27:32 PM
by Parriah
3 Replies
1418 Views
Last post May 31, 2014, 10:05:30 AM
by Arlequín
5 Replies
1923 Views
Last post October 12, 2015, 09:57:03 PM
by Archie