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U.S. M-1 style ALUMINUM PARADE HELMET-


Mainemilitaria
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Mainemilitaria

Picked this up last weekend,

Aluminum M-1 style helmet with "built-in" cloth liner and cloth chin strap.... has "early" paper "Made in USA" and "sz. 7 1/4".... will let the pictures do the talking...

 

post-54223-0-69164000-1383923953.jpgpost-54223-0-80908500-1383923967.jpg

 

Will add two more pictures:

Thanks,

John G.

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Mainemilitaria

another picture :

post-54223-0-10388300-1383924163.jpg

Obvious some sort of Parade helmet but I've searched here and on the web with no matches, and spent 56 years collecting and don't recall another like it...

This one does have alittle oxidization pits minor "rings" and very slight dent or two....but still it pretty decent...unique to me at least!

 

Comments welcome....I say latewar possibly/early postwar....I know aluminum was still a necessary "war metal" durning the war....

Opps...one more picture of the liner yet...

John G.

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It reminds me of some of the M1917 'style' aluminum and steel commercial helmets, particularly the liner.

 

I am thinking more like late 1940s through early 1950s. I personally do not think it has any WWII wartime connection.

 

JMHO,

RC

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Mainemilitaria

 

John,

 

Interesting looking helmet, never seen anything like this before..

 

Leigh Jr. (Smitty)

Smitty,

I've never seen another like it either*....plenty of "doughboy style Alum. helmets" and early Alum. "construction/Saftey" types....but this is definately "M-1" style. The liner and tag appear almost "prewar" which is what amazes me...

 

Even more so as there were TWO of these*...identical except the other is in even better condition...that's the one "in my room"....this one will probably hit the "block"...(haven't reached the "required posts" to sell here yet!)

Best always,

John G.

And please give my VERY BEST to your Mom & Dad for me....

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Smitty,

I've never seen another like it either*....plenty of "doughboy style Alum. helmets" and early Alum. "construction/Saftey" types....but this is definately "M-1" style. The liner and tag appear almost "prewar" which is what amazes me...

 

Even more so as there were TWO of these*...identical except the other is in even better condition...that's the one "in my room"....this one will probably hit the "block"...(haven't reached the "required posts" to sell here yet!)

Best always,

John G.

And please give my VERY BEST to your Mom & Dad for me....

 

I will John.. Hope to see you next year. Dad turns 80 and I plan on coming home for the B-day party. Hopefully will be home sometime in April 2014. We moved the party from February to April due to possible snow in Feb and my limited days off...

 

Smitty

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Looks like a type of hard-hat rather than military. It's not quite an M1...much more flared brim and a suspension quite unlike anything used by the military. Most "parade" quality M1 helmets were chromed and highly polished rather than dull natural aluminium. An intriguing helmet for sure!

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Looks like a type of hard-hat rather than military. It's not quite an M1...much more flared brim and a suspension quite unlike anything used by the military. Most "parade" quality M1 helmets were chromed and highly polished rather than dull natural aluminium. An intriguing helmet for sure!

 

I agree. Totally commercial with no US military connection beyond a similarity or possible use by veterans organizations IMHO.

 

RC

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In the 1950's and 60's non-military drill teams and drum and bugle corps' were quite common and a whole industry existed to provide uniforms, helmets, dummy drill rifles, etc.

 

Hard to tell from the angle of the photos, but this helmet looks a bit like a cross between an M1 helmet and one of the old military sun helmet, such as worn by US and British forces in the late 1800's.

 

You can still find some dealers in this area, and buy yourself a shiny plastic parade helmet. As with the aluminum helmet, it has to be a whole lot more comfortable when marching and driling.

 

paradehelmet.jpg

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Mainemilitaria

I agree with everything that's been said....all the same thought's I had....but still pretty unique. Closer to a M-1 than anything else, but agree "not exactly" the same..... doesn't have "much" protection for a "hard hat"....Parade helmet makes the most sense to me...

but again....speculation at this point.

 

Did come out of a WW2 S-3 vet box lot.... this (and the other) Aluminum helmet and a nice WW 2 M-1 liner with WW2 sweatband in a nice unit marked "S-3" box... "1/142" .......unfortunately, nothing else.... I would have paid "what I paid" for the M-1 liner....

 

The liner, chin strap, and paper tag are much more typically "late 30s/early 40s" look and feel.....but of course that doesn't prove anything... there are no other markings I can find....certianly not implying "Government issue" as such.... agree probably some sort of "Drum and Bugle Corps" or "V.F.W." helmet....but differant!

 

Any & all additional comments, observations, or speculation is welcome....

 

Look forward to seeing "Smith Clan" .........."all generations"

John G.

Mainemilitaria

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I have one of these and have been told, like mentioned above, these were for VFW and other Veteran's Organizations for parades and such.

Ronnie

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  • 6 years later...

I scanned a photo of what I think is this Aluminum parade helmet being worn by a Army Color Guard Detail, let me try in find t where I saved it, hopefully I didn't delete it by accident, and if so I can remember which yearbook I found it in and scan it again.

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Found the photo, it in fact was not posted by me first, but by someone else, I forgot now who, I just copied and pasted it in one of the other topics on chromed helmets to add to that topic, I scanned quite a few Honor Guard photos from my yearbooks the past few years that I got confused :lol:

 

Anyway here it is, a very odd contoured helmet as we see, neither chromed steel helmets nor painted liners, they could very well be like the one in the OP. Photo is of an unknown date in the 60s during either the war or right before it at either Wolters or Rucker at the chopper pilots school.

 

post-34986-0-91085800-1543720570.jpg

 

 

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Found the photo, it in fact was not posted by me first, but by someone else, I forgot now who, I just copied and pasted it in one of the other topics on chromed helmets to add to that topic, I scanned quite a few Honor Guard photos from my yearbooks the past few years that I got confused :lol:

 

Anyway here it is, a very odd contoured helmet as we see, neither chromed steel helmets nor painted liners, they could very well be like the one in the OP. Photo is of an unknown date in the 60s during either the war or right before it at either Wolters or Rucker at the chopper pilots school.

 

post-34986-0-91085800-1543720570.jpg

 

 

 

HMM..

 

Are the rivets in the same spot?

post-54223-0-10388300-1383924163.jpg

 

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HMM..

 

Are the rivets in the same spot?

post-54223-0-10388300-1383924163.jpg

 

Cant really tell if there are rivets when I save it and zoom in, if not identical to this one, then one similar, as it clearly has a weird shape to it, kinda a cross between a M34 Greek Helmet and and a M28 Polish Helmet :lol:

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