Pattern 58 camo Helmet cover

[Haebyeongdae]

I would like to share one of my favorite items in my ROKMC collection. This is a helmet cover in pattern 1958 camouflage it is on a McCord made m1 helmet with airborne liner. The ROK marines used mainly airborne helmet liners with standard infantry shells or standard infantry liners that accept the leather chinstrap. This pattern is the first domestically produced camouflage by the Republic of Korea. It is very recognizable by “eyeball” shapes within the pattern. Because of the industry in South Korea at the time there are many variations in color of this scheme, some have a more yellowish base color, while others have a turquoise green base color. There are many Korean resources on this pattern but the only English resource online has Mis identified this pattern as reserve or non military but this is wrong. The type 58 pattern uniforms are seen in the early days of Vietnam but 8 point covers and helmet covers are seen until the end of the war! The pattern unlike the later camos (which is a copy of the US made frogskin) is reversible. In period photos it is easy to recognize this pattern as it is more dense than the “frogskin” camo and the “eyeball” shape is present. I am hoping this thread will help spread some light on a really cool relatively unknown pattern! 

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The beach side, showing two of the “eyeball” shapes clearly

Here are some period photos of Pattern 58 helmet covers in Vietnam 

[Cap Camouflage Pattern I]

Very nice, thank you for posting!

 

[Haebyeongdae]

Thank you very much! And no problem 🙂

[Haebyeongdae]

Also wanted to share the photograph. Although it is not a helmet cover this marine is wearing a pattern 58 camo jumpsuit. The colors are very similar to my helmet cover. I’ve also included a photo I found online of a helmet cover that has a significant blue/ green hue to it. 58 pattern camouflage is very cool because of just how many variations there were. I’ve seen at least 7 different versions with varying base colors ranging from tan (even on the “jungle side”) all the way to a very deep turquoise color. 

[DoubleCanister]

4 hours ago, Haebyeongdae said:

Also wanted to share the photograph. Although it is not a helmet cover this marine is wearing a pattern 58 camo jumpsuit. The colors are very similar to my helmet cover. I’ve also included a photo I found online of a helmet cover that has a significant blue/ green hue to it. 58 pattern camouflage is very cool because of just how many variations there were. I’ve seen at least 7 different versions with varying base colors ranging from tan (even on the “jungle side”) all the way to a very deep turquoise color. 

I wish I could find the jumpsuit. I think the airborne wore them during 5.16.

[Haebyeongdae]

5 hours ago, DoubleCanister said:

I wish I could find the jumpsuit. I think the airborne wore them during 5.16.

Yes they did! Here is a picture of one in use at the 5.16 coup 

[Haebyeongdae]

One last photo to add, here is a marine while on Korean soil in the early 1960s. He is wearing the bluish variant from head to toe