The M1934/39 helmet was the primary combat helmet used by the

Greek Armed Forces The Hellenic Armed Forces ( el, Eλληνικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις, Ellinikés Énoples Dynámis) are the military forces of Greece. They consist of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force. The civilian a ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Greece purchased these helmets from Italy prior to the conflict as a replacement for their

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

-era Adrian helmets and refitted them with locally manufactured liners.

Background

The M1934/39 was initially produced and tested in Italy as a possible replacement for the Italian military's Adrian helmets. The helmet did not meet their standards however, and they were sold to Greece as bare shells just before the outbreak of World War II. Once the Greeks received the M1934/39's they painted them green and added their own liners and chin straps. These liners were made from leather and featured seven 'tongues'. One of the 'tongues' was marked with a crown and the words ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ ("Greek Army"). Due to the sudden onset of hostilities between Greece and Italy, Greece did not receive the total number of helmets ordered and as a result, was unable to equip their entire army with the M1934/39.

World War II and beyond

After Italian and German forces overran Greece in 1941 (see Battle of Greece) many captured M1934/39's were reissued to occupying troops and used within the country until the end of the war. Once hostilities ceased in 1945 however, Greek authorities refitted a large number of these helmets with British-style leather liners and put them back into service with various police units until the 1960s.Giorgos, P

Accessed April 20, 2012.

Gallery

File:Greek helmet front.jpg, Front view of the M1934/39 File:M1934 side view.jpg, Side view of the M1934/39 File:Greek army liner.jpg, Interior tongue with the words "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ" File:Greek Army Helmets of WW II.jpg, Sizes 55 and 57, personal private collection File:War Museum of Thessaloniki exhibits.jpg, Uniforms of WWII in the

War Museum of Thessaloniki The War Museum of Thessaloniki ( el, Πολεμικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης ''Polemiko Mousio Thessalonikis'') is a military museum in Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece. Thessaloniki War Museum opened in October 2000. It i ...

References

External links

Greek M1934/39 helmet
at www.warrelics.eu

at www.militariarg.com

at www.nyc-techwriters.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Greek M1934 39 helmet Combat helmets of Italy Hellenic Army World War II military equipment of Greece Military equipment introduced in the 1930s