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During WorldWar
II U.S. Navy Mine Disposal divers used the Buie
recirculating diving dress while diving on German Influence sea mines in the harbour at Marseille, France.
The apparatus was both acoustically quiet and magnetically safe. The helmet
assembly was the results of experiments conducted by LTjg. E. D. Buie, USN,
Master Diver and a graduate of the U.S. Navy Mine Disposal School. He was |
Rear view |
Front view |
When you clear up mines it is very important that you are "non-magnetic" and "non-acoustic". Sound and magnetism are known to set mines off. For this reason the Buie equipment was completely non-magnetic and non-acoustic. The helmet, the shoes and the knife were made of non magnetic material. The dress did not leave any air-bubbles because the sound of those could be deadly. The recirculating cannister on the back of the helmet scrubbed out the CO2 of the exhaled air. |
Good view of the inside of the recirculating cannister. Like with a Mark V the Buie Dress is used in combination with surface supplied breathing mixtures and the so-called whip. The "yellow" pictures are taken from a US Navy WWII mine disposal manual. |
All of the above material with the
courtesy of
CWO4 John D. Bartleson Jr., USN (retired)
Historian,
U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association
Only 25 of these helmets were ever made ! They started numbering at 125. This is helmet 125. It was recently retinned. Notice the 4 point Batteryless exhaust handle. |
Same helmet. The CO2 absorbent cartridge taken from the cannister. |