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M1 Personalized "SKIPPER": Front Seam/Swivel bail


TheMinistryOfAviation
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TheMinistryOfAviation

Hey guys,

 

I'm wondering about the personalized markings on the front of this lid.

I like the look of it, but it seems kinda counter productive to paint such "loud" markings on the front of your helmet.

 

Owner wrote his name inside. Trying to find out who he was and perhaps the "SKIPPER" might make sense.

Looks like: "Besson HQ Co 1st Batt 381".

 

Hoping to hear your thoughts are on the paint though.

 

Thanks!

Jeremy

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Nothing wrong with this paint, great helmet set! Actually, loud helmets, as you put it, were quite common in WWII when you think about it. Should be possible to identify this guy with some elbow grease and web surfing...good luck on that effort.

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One possibility to consider-just spit ballin' it here, but Skipper was popular term of endearment for Marine Corps Captains in WWI. If that carried over to WWII, it is possible this "loud" paint was covered by a frogskin cover. Don't know if any of that corresponds to your name and unit though. I think the paint looks authentic. Kevin

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Screamingeagles101

I like it. If your looking to get rid of it, I might know a guy ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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cool, be a great research project.

 

What units had 381 in them? 381st Bomb group, 381st Field Artillery? 381st Infantry regiment, 381st engineers?

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TheMinistryOfAviation

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I really appreciate it!

 

As someone mentioned I also had thought that the helmet could have donned a cover when worn into combat.

 

Definitely looking forward to researching this one a lot more.

As 63Recon posted the 381st Bomb Group, 381st Field Artillery Battalion, 381st Infantry Regiment, 381st Engineers Battalion are the four units I came up with. That's a lot of leads, but at least there's more information to go off of.

 

Thanks again for all the praise!

-Jeremy

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all we need to do is find gilligans helmet lol

 

love the helmet

 

Thanks, I've been fighting like heck resisting making a Gilligan comment. Now I can relax.

Mikie

 

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If we're reading this correctly with unit, it would have to be the 381st Infantry (96th Infantry Division), as it says HQ Co 1st BN, only regiments had different battalions in them, ie, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, all the other units were battalions in themselves IE, HQ, A, B, C Companies and or Batteries, don't know about the flying units, but I imagine they would be Group, Wing and Squadron.

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huntssurplus

Little late to this thread, but I love the helmet. Always cool to find these personalized helmets.

 

-Hunt

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TheMinistryOfAviation

Thanks Hunt!

I'm definitely excited to have it in the collection!

 

And I agree with Patches, I'm leaning towards the 381st Infantry Battalion.

 

-Jeremy

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  • 4 years later...
1 hour ago, Sappuh said:

1LT Besson, Joffre A,    (Rt #1, Box #62, Gilroy, California) was the owner of this helmet.  Just joined the site, but thought that might help if you know.  

 

https://worldwartwoveterans.org/1st-battalion-headquarters-company-381st-infantry-regiment-96th-infantry-division/

 

Nice! Here's a few things I found on Ancestry for him:

 

Alec

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