A French-made M31 pattern sun helmet, likely supplied to Uruguay prior to WWII.
While the South American nation of Uruguay managed to stay out of foreign conflicts – and was neutral in both World Wars of the 20th century – internal strife including power struggles resulted in a large standing army that was often prepared for war.
The Uruguayan military forces used a variety of steel helmets prior to the Second World War and most seem to be either of French manufacture or at least French design. The same held true of its sun helmets. This author has previously noted that throughout the 1930s and 1940s the nation’s military officers were required to buy their own uniforms and looked to neighboring Argentina – another South American nation with a strong military tradition – for influence. Continue reading