VINTAGE ISRAELI HAGA (הג"א) CIVIL DEFENSE HELMET 1970's ERA FIRST RESPONDERS

Description: Original IDF issue. Yellow plastic with liner, decal and chinstrap. Used, very good condition. The birth of Israeli Civil Defense goes back to May 1948 when the HAGA (הג"א - Hebrew acronym for Civil Defense) was established under the name “Bombardment Defense Services”. The HAGA, originally falling under the command of the Tzahal (צה״ל‎ - the Israeli Defense Forces), was established after the intensive Egyptian Air Force bombing of Tel Aviv in May 1948, which left many casualties and great damage to many buildings. In 1951, the Knesset passed a law defining the legal status of HAGA. The law stated that the purpose of HAGA was “to take all the necessary steps to protect the population in the event of any attack by hostile forces or to minimize the results of such an attack, the emphasis being on saving lives.”The first helmets utilized by the HAGA were steel helmets produced in British-mandated Palestine by Jewish communities during World War II. These helmets, at first glance, looked similar to British Mark II helmets but on closer look, they were more similar to the WW1 era British Brodie helmets. They lacked the metal sheet covering the shell’s edge and the overall shape of the helmet was quite rudimentary. The webbing was entirely domestically produced. The name of the factory, "Pleese Ltd." (the name means 'Brass' in Hebrew), in Hebrew and in English, were stamped on the leather chinstrap - one language on each flap of the strap. The helmet had very poor ballistic properties and was mainly used for Civil Defense duties. Following the formation of the Bombardment Defense Services in May 1948, the HAGA got a new emblem: three falling bombs over a shield with the Star of David in the background, surrounded by two fronds of a wreath. The letters הג"א (HAGA) are embossed on a sash underneath the wreath. In the 1950s, 45-50-year-old reserve soldiers served in the HAGA, but after the Yom Kippur War, the IDF worked to return many soldiers who had been transferred to the HAGA squad due to a shortage of personnel. In the 1970s, the Israeli Civil Defense was amalgamated with the Regional Defense Corps (HAGMAR). Following Iraq’s Scud missile attacks on Israel during the First Gulf War, both the HAGA and HAGMAR were dissolved and a new Home Front Command was established in 1992, complete with a totally new emblem.At one point, probably around the 1970s, the HAGA started using polycarbonate helmets. These helmets, like the one in this collection, were used to protect rescuers’ heads from falling debris or from bumps received while carrying out rescues among the rubble. These helmets were used during the First Gulf War and were later replaced by helmets similar in shape to the Israeli Army’s Orlite OR-201 helmets. This polycarbonate helmet is very robust, just like similar hard hats used in construction. The shape is however very different from ordinary hard hats, with a large protuberance on the top front part of the shell and no visors at all anywhere around the brim of the helmet. The plastic shell flares sideways to protect the wearer’s ears and outwards at the rear to protect the neck. The liner is quite rudimentary, and it is made of white plastic held in place by white plastic rivets. A plastic band holds the liner steady and a thin sweatband adds some minor comfort to the helmet. The plastic two-point chinstrap is also rudimentary and is attached to the shell by means of white swivel rings attached to the shell. A chin guard is attached to the chinstrap. This particular helmet is painted in standard cadmium-yellow colour and comes with the HAGA decal portraying the three falling bombs over a shield with the Star of David in the background. I will get this delivered to you ASAP. It will be shipped out same day or next business day. Thanks for looking!!! Please take a look at my other Auction listings:) Have a great day:)

Price: 35.86 USD

Location: Tucson, Arizona

End Time: 2024-02-14T20:49:28.000Z

Shipping Cost: 12.75 USD