Dave G Posted June 27, 2017 Share #1 Posted June 27, 2017 Well over thirty years ago I was fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time when a well-known collector of 36th militaria sold his collection to shift his collecting focus. He had a spectacular collection and this helmet, obtained by him directly from the family of the veteran, was his favorite and the last to go. The helmet belonged to Captain William A. Towler, Jr who served throughout WWII with the 111th Combat Engineers Regiment of the 36th Division. The helmet itself is a fixed bail, front seam, stainless rim and khaki straps. There is a lot number stamped on the shell but I can't make it out. Both the helmet and the St. Clair liner are well-marked with Capt. Towler's initials. The liner has painted captain's bars but no divisional/regimental markings as does the shell. The unit insignia on the left of the shell is an obsolete design for the 111th Engineers, though I couldn't find much more about it. I've included a photo of Capt. Towler wearing the helmet in Germany either late in the war or just after the war ended. The photo is a bit dark but in hand you can see a slight bend in the rim. I've included a photo of the helmet in which you can clearly see the bend. I've just purchased a new camera so I'm going to practice by posting a few of the helmets in my collection that I feel are interesting. Thanks for looking. There are about six photos so it may take a bit to get them all uploaded. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share #2 Posted June 27, 2017 More: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share #3 Posted June 27, 2017 More: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted June 27, 2017 More: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share #5 Posted June 27, 2017 More: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted June 27, 2017 Share #6 Posted June 27, 2017 Incredible. Good for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitana Posted June 27, 2017 Share #7 Posted June 27, 2017 That's an amazing find! Especially with the photographic documentation - it's often very hard to pin down an officer's helmet to wartime use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtilk8455 Posted June 27, 2017 Share #8 Posted June 27, 2017 Fantastic helmet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFH Posted June 27, 2017 Share #9 Posted June 27, 2017 Great set Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted June 27, 2017 Share #10 Posted June 27, 2017 Awesome helmet, great unit to. Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted June 27, 2017 Share #11 Posted June 27, 2017 VERY nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdk0911 Posted June 27, 2017 Share #12 Posted June 27, 2017 great helmet!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchfoot Posted June 27, 2017 Share #13 Posted June 27, 2017 Nothing better than a picture of the helmet being worn. Nice set! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MECHINF-A15 Posted June 27, 2017 Share #14 Posted June 27, 2017 OUTSTANDING!!! Super piece and with photos even better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GITom1944 Posted June 27, 2017 Share #15 Posted June 27, 2017 Very cool - always great to see a war-time engineer marked helmet. Its great that you have photo documentation of the pot in use. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted June 28, 2017 Share #16 Posted June 28, 2017 Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share #17 Posted July 15, 2017 A forum member requested additional photographs of the liner. So I add the following: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted July 17, 2017 Share #18 Posted July 17, 2017 Very nice helmet! Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniprat Posted November 9, 2023 Share #19 Posted November 9, 2023 Great! This captain is wounded end of august 44 near Montelimar, to field hospital. i send you a mp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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