WWII Experimental Helmet or Football Helmet?

[Red Ball Express]

Hey guys as the title says is this WWII Experimental Helmet or Football Helmet? I just saw this and was wondering.

Thanks

Ryan

[Red Ball Express]

..

[Red Ball Express]

...

[Jack's Son]

I will say, tanker's helmet.

[Red Ball Express]

I will say, tanker's helmet.

Thanks, i just need opinions on this one, just out of curiosity.

Ryan

[Third Herd]

The Arny had several different brands of football helmets they used for tanker helmet in the 1950's.

[m1ashooter]

I seem to remember seeing paratroopers in a helmet like this.

[gunbunny]

Here's a similar helmet.

 

http://www.usmilitar...hl__+elvis +era

[Sabrejet]

I think it's 50s vintage rather than WW2 going by the suspension details.

[max0073]

Hi,

 

with this suspension, definitely not the riddell helmet used by paratroopers in training in ealry ww2.

 

Max

[Jack's Son]

Hi,

with this suspension, definitely not the riddell helmet used by paratroopers in training in ealry ww2.Max

 

That was my thinking Max. The padding is very substantial, and the construction appears to be made for long wearing use, not jumps.

[jkash23686]

The suspension is def, not WWII its at least a 50's era helmet.

[LarryM3]

These commercial footbal helmets were very popular with the Army, in a variety of functions, through the 1950's. The paratroops used them in jump training and the Armored School used them for training as well. A wide variety of brand name helmets were widely used by active duty armor units due to the delays in testing and approving the T56-6 combat vehicle crewman's helmet. The T56-6 would not be fielded until 1961 so throughout the 50's the Army needed something to augment the dwindling stores of the WWII Rawlings Pattern tank helmet. The suspension in this helmet is very much like the Kra-Lite suspension found in MacGregor helmets of the period.

 

Larry

[rr01]

The '50s versions of the specialized jump helmets I have seen had the webbing suspension inside.

[craig_pickrall]

Please don't forget this version.

 

[LarryM3]

Craig, the helmet pictured in your photo of Patton in his Green Hornet uniform is the first of two Riddell football helmets that Patton used. This one was given to him to wear and evaluate by Major Sydenham of the Test Detachment at Fort Benning, Sydenham was the inventer of the M-1 helmet. Sydenham got this particular Riddell helmet from John Ridell, Jr. who was at Fort Benning selling the then new Riddell K1 plastic football helmet to the Parachute Test Platoon. The Parachute Test Platoon had borrowed the Riddell footbal helmets owned by the USMA football team so Patton's helmet may have been one of the USMA helmets.

 

Larry

[craig_pickrall]

Larry, thanks for the good info on the history of that particular helmet.

[patches]

The type still in use at Fort Knox's Tank Crewman AIT school, late 1969 or early 1970. Interesting that the Sergeant has donned one with the post 1968 rank decal on it, probably just a vehicle property thing, and donned it in a hurry to show the trainee how it's done.