North Vietnamese Army 1st Generation Cardboard Khaki Sun Helmet with Woven Bamboo Sweatband

The standard PRC made NVA sun helmet was made of cardboard imprenated with resin with a reed green cotton twill covering glued to the exterior.

The North Vietnamese also wore other types of sun helmets in the North and South. Many were cottage industry made. I have seen pith (cork), plastic and cardboard with various colors on the exterior. Some even had two colors no the exterior like the NVA militia man shown.

This helmet has the first type sweatband made of interwoven bamboo which has a thin, layer of plastic covering it. The cloth came in various colors and materials and often becomes brittle over the decades.

Like in wartime helmets this one has all aluminum hardware including the grommets, vent and chinstrap buckle. Naturally, the aluminum has oxidized. The chinstraps brad is brass.

Khaki sun helmets were worn throughout the 1950s, 1960s by the NVA but were slowly phased out in favor of the reed green helmet. By 1975 they were not seen much.

This appears to be an early PRC made helmet for export to Hanoi. The PRC did not wear such helmets.