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Uncover your potential', indeed! Once you stop ogling the girl, though, you might notice that this Australian Special Air Service (SAS) recruiting poster shows Australian Disruptive Pattern Camouflage to very good effect. [Image courtesy Brad Turner collection.]

Swiss M18 helmet cover camouflage
Swiss Confederation

The Swiss camouflage pattern, shown here, is considered by many to represent the earliest attempt at production of a camouflage helmet cover. The pattern comprises soft-edged moss green and red ochre blotches on a yellow ochre background, and resembles the 3-colour 'water' pattern seen on the reversible helmet covers that were made for the World War II M18–40 helmet.

These covers, however, are not reversible. Moreover, they were constructed from the light grey cloth covers that were originally intended for use with the highly conspicuous Ordonnanz 1898 Käppi (this Swiss-German word is apparently an adaptation of the French word 'képi'). Shortly after the introduction of the M18 helmet, the Käppi covers were re-cut and re-assembled, to fit the new helmet, and the camouflage pattern was applied to them by hand. For this reason there are no discontinuities at the seams, and the original colour of the fabric may be seen behind the brow band and, occassionally, in its 'shadow'.

Since this particular pattern was introduced into service with the Swiss Armed Forces not long after the conclusion of World War I, it actually pre-dates Italy's 1929 Telo Mimetico by several years.

kamouflage.net is grateful to Stéphane Arlt, for his invaluable contributions to this article.

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