I recognize the HG picture from somewhere 
(The Home Guard - David Carroll?)
I see what you mean about the denims 
Dunno, found the pic online on a Staffordshire local history site (I lived in Staffordshire for nearly 20 years and my grandparents on my fathers side are from Uttoxeter so we moved there when I was a nipper). There are quite a few others.
I seem to recall my grandad serving in India in the first war (he allegedly made incendiary curries that nobody else could handle) but being too old for WWII and being a sharpshooter in the home guard. My father always told me that when grandad tok him to the travelling funfairs he'd end up scooping up all the prizes at shooting ranges even when the owners had 'tweaked' the sights
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
will get my book out 2mor to see if I can find that picture
I'm currently just started looking up about my Great Grand father 
WW1 Medal Roll Index card 1914-1920
also have his service record that I'm going to go through in the next few days
I prefer wearing the chinstrap instead of looking all nice and hollywood-ish. I always find it amusing seeing US players running about with one hand on their pot. That's what chin straps are made for people!
But whatever tickles your pickle right.
If an M1 Helmet bounces round on someones head then A. they ain't wearing it properly B. the band that runs round the inside isn't fitted properly or tight enough.
The straps being fitted round the back of the helmet is not a 'hollywoodism' (roll on infinite pictures of GI's with the straps hooked together around the rear lip of the helmet.)
(4 soldiers in foreground with chinstrap secured to rear of helmet)
It is to do with hand to hand fighting, if you're wearing your M1 Helmet and somone slams the ball of their hand upwards, in to the front rim of your helmet, with the chinstrap fastened then not only will the helmet go back...but so will your head. Alternatively chinstrap undone it will simply fall off.
Chinstrap undone and dangling around your head like dog ears...THAT is a hollywoodism (and also bloody painful).
Show me a man who will jump out of an airplane, and I'll show you a man who will fight!
General James M. Gavin
CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR
I can see two, maybe three GIs in your pic who don't have their chinstraps around the back. Not a Hollywoodism, but not universal.
It is to do with hand to hand fighting
Not sure about that. It's pretty much impossible to break an adult male neck with any sort of uppercut, even with the 1 inch or so leverage that a M1 helmet would give. If it were that easy then boxers would be dying all over the place.
I'd say comfort and ease of taking the lid off were the main reasons it was done. Plus the fact that all your mates wore their helmets that way
I'm currently just started looking up about my Great Grand father
What year is the picture? He's wearing a very civilian-looking belt.
Looks like an ordinary leather belt to me - could have been for 'best' for the photo?
According to Karkee Web the leather belt wasn't 'obsolete' until 1917 and then it came back six years later. "...this Belt must be one of the longest serving accoutrements in the British Military."
http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1903/ ... traps.html
Looks like an ordinary leather belt to me - could have been for 'best' for the photo?
According to Karkee Web the leather belt wasn't 'obsolete' until 1917 and then it came back six years later. "...this Belt must be one of the longest serving accoutrements in the British Military."
http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1903/ ... traps.html
It is, the 1903 belt was still in the equipment lists in the early 1980's (maybe later) as a linesmans belt as used by the Royal Signals.
The buckle looks different from the 03 pattern, but yes, probably just another variant. I always think of web belts or snake clasp leather ones with WW1 photies
This type of Belt was still listed in the Catalogue of Ordnance Stores and Ammunition (C.O.S.A.) as late as 1999
Yes the buckle is different, but the style of the belt is '03.
A lot of odd civvie stuff appears in WWI uniforms. Just take a look at the boots worn in a lot of the studio photos, you'll find a lot of variety.
I'm currently just started looking up about my Great Grand father
What year is the picture? He's wearing a very civilian-looking belt.
we think the picture was taken in 1917 when he first enlisted
I can see two, maybe three GIs in your pic who don't have their chinstraps around the back. Not a Hollywoodism, but not universal.
It is to do with hand to hand fighting
Not sure about that. It's pretty much impossible to break an adult male neck with any sort of uppercut, even with the 1 inch or so leverage that a M1 helmet would give. If it were that easy then boxers would be dying all over the place.
I'd say comfort and ease of taking the lid off were the main reasons it was done. Plus the fact that all your mates wore their helmets that way
Maybe not primarily, but the enemy not being able to use your own helmet against you in a fight is a definite advantage, I never suggested it would break a neck, but you'd be well off guard. Also thankyou for clarifying that it is not a Hollywoodism.
Show me a man who will jump out of an airplane, and I'll show you a man who will fight!
General James M. Gavin
CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR
I can see two, maybe three GIs in your pic who don't have their chinstraps around the back. Not a Hollywoodism, but not universal.
Out of the 6 that can be seen properly, 4 have them around the back...
So what you've done there is clarify what I've said, that it's not a Hollywoodism. I did not suggest that it was adopted by all soldiers, just that it's not a figment of someone movie writers imagination. Additionally, although I haven't got a photo of the entire US Army circa 1944, I'm sure that we can all agree placing the chinstrap to the rear of the helmet was quite a wide spread thing! Anybody who disagrees with that statement is basically just being argumentative. 
Show me a man who will jump out of an airplane, and I'll show you a man who will fight!
General James M. Gavin
CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR
I think the "issue" is more that you told babe to move his helmet strap - clearly it is perfectly fine where it is. Clearly, in battle, some chose to fix the strap to the rear, but either way is OK and down to personal preference.
Watching "World War II: The Last Heroes" on C4 on Saturday it was interesting that one veteran said his helmet chinstrap actually saved his life when he jumped off the landing craft ramp into deep water. He went straight under but said the air trapped inside his helmet brought him back up to the surface! If he hadn't had his chin strap done up he would very likely have drowned!
“I wanted to come to the Volga at a specific location at a specific city. By chance it carries the name of Stalin himself. So don’t think I marched there for this reason – it could carry another name – but because there is a very important goal... this goal I wanted to take – and you know – we are very modest, we have it already."
Adolf Hitler, November 1942
"Comrades, Red Army men, commanders and political workers, men and women guerrillas! It is on your perseverance, staunchness, fighting skill and readiness to discharge your duty to the country that the defeat of the German-fascist army and the liberation of the Soviet land from the Hitlerite invaders depend! We can and must clear the Soviet land of Hitlerite vermin."
Joseph Stalin, November 1942
Chinstraps around the back of the helmet was quite common in the ETO. Interesting though you do not see Marines doing this in the PTO.
Wow, I kinda derailed the thread there. 
I went to fast, I meant hollywoodism in the sense of "in the movies 90% wear them that way". So maybe that's probably why 90% of the airsofters do It? I am well aware of the fact a hell of a lot preferred to put them behind the lid. (I read a WWII related book once 
) But I just like to know my helmet will be nice 'n tight on my skull when making that mad dash.
Like I said before, as long as It's your pickle, proceed the tickle.
Me at a local open day:
Obligatory old style photo:
Being a bit sneaky beaky:
first Home Guard shoot today!
show me ya war face lad!!
