guinit helmet

Philippine English

A sun helmet made from coconut fiber (ginít), used by Filipinos serving in the American colonial army from 1935 through 1942. The American colonial gendarmerie also used this headgear about the same period. The Axis Second Philippine Republic's military, known as the Bureau of Constabulary, was another user of this type of sun helmet. Generally viewed as an unsuitable headgear for war it should however be noted that Germany's Afrika Korps and Italian elite units, such as bersaglieri, deployed in North Africa during World War Two also used sun helmets.