Did british medics paint crosses on their helmets like US medics?

[dallen19]

Am adding the finishing touches to my ww2 british army medic loadout.

 

Am just wondering if the british army medics used to paint crosses on their helmets like us medics?

[druid799]

nope never , we all ways just use a white arm band with a red cross on it . Her Majesty"s British Army (and her fathers) wouldn"t wear eny thing so garish as a painted helmets

[Rigiddigit]

Some British helmets with red cross painting do survive. I have a mate with a Brit Para helmet that is white painted with a single red cross painted at the front.

[druid799]

Some British helmets with red cross painting do survive. I have a mate with a Brit Para helmet that is white painted with a single red cross painted at the front.

if its all white and has a red cross on it , its not an issued British army helmet (not saying its NOT a british helmet just it wouldn"t have been used by our troops). Think some of the other nations who we kitted out did paint there helmets e.g.Poles,Czechs,free French,ect .

[GhostWolf]

if its all white and has a red cross on it , its not an issued British army helmet (not saying its NOT a british helmet just it wouldn"t have been used by our troops). Think some of the other nations who we kitted out did paint there helmets e.g.Poles,Czechs,free French,ect .

 

100% correct, more like a Polish or Free French helmet. British Forces have never placed anything on the helmets apart from possibly small unit logos like the 8th army did in the desert sometimes, but even then it wasn't a common practice.

[Gadge]

For a start the term 'medic' wasnt used by the British in WWII

 

You had RAMC doctors and orderlies at proper aid posts but in the field the job of casualty recovery was done by 'stretcher bearers' and that's what they were called by the men.

 

British armbands very often have the words SB on them instead of a red cross (SBs were traditionally members of the regimental band).

 

Remember the geneva convention also forbids medical staff to carry weapons except a sidearm for self defence.

[nautilus]

I was certain that, in an old photo from the family album from my Uncle Dennis' time in the RAMC, I had seen him wearing Cross identified MkII Brodie.

 

I asked him about it and he did confirm that some folks did self-mark some of their gear for clear identification in the field, but also confirmed that this was not 'to the regs' and could wind up NCOs to the point of having kittens.