Early Army Air Corps Flight Helmet ID sought - unusual

[Maple Creek]

Here are a pair of flight helmets that have been offered to me. I'm thinking these are early WWII or pre-WWII Army Air Corps - maybe A-8 flight helmets, possibly rigger modified. The one at the top of the photo is particularly unusual. I haven't seen one like it. A-8 variant? Civilian?

 

I'm more of a steel helmet collector. Flight helmets are outside my area of expertise, so I was hoping for some help with these.

 

According to the story they came from the estate of a WWII Army Air Corps vet who served in France and the SE Pacific.

 

Mark D.

[phantomfixer]

Cool helmets...no tags I take it...the shearling looks like a B-5 in white or non dyed shearling...there was a parka and pants made from the same shearling..the B-7 parka??? So maybe this helmet is a match to it...the cloth helmet looks like a A-9 ...I have never seen the small snaps on the goggle straps, but no O2 mask hooks...removed? or never sewn on? I think the A-8 cloth helmet had a notch cut out of the cloth.... on the left and right side in the cheek area for the mask

 

But very cool and good condition helmets

[littlebuddy]

Nice B5 , that would look good with the B7 parka and A6 pants as a set up

 

Is that a rigger modified A8 ??

 

LB

[Maple Creek]

Bingo! I think that's it - B5 on top. On the bottom, I think rigger modified A8 may be correct as well.

 

I found an image of a B5 helmet and B7 parka borrowed from Bells Aviation. It's a strange looking get-up, no?

 

What would be the vintage of these pieces?

 

 

 

 

Nice B5 , that would look good with the B7 parka and A6 pants as a set up

Is that a rigger modified A8 ??

LB

 

[Maple Creek]

I don't have the helmets in hand, so can't report on tags or other markings. If I'm able to buy these, I'll report back with better photos. A-9 or A-8? Not sure. It's apparently been modified making positive ID harder.

 

Here are photos of another specimen (not mine) borrowed from the 303rd bomb group website as well as a period photo showing a crew member with using this headgear.

 

Cool helmets...no tags I take it...the shearling looks like a B-5 in white or non dyed shearling...there was a parka and pants made from the same shearling..the B-7 parka??? So maybe this helmet is a match to it...the cloth helmet looks like a A-9 ...I have never seen the small snaps on the goggle straps, but no O2 mask hooks...removed? or never sewn on? I think the A-8 cloth helmet had a notch cut out of the cloth.... on the left and right side in the cheek area for the mask

 

But very cool and good condition helmets

 

[Jumpin Jack]

The rectangular stitching would indicate a tag present. Jack

[phantomfixer]

or at least the one time presence of a tag...

[mr_lits]

The white helmet at the top certainly has all the fixtures of an early B5, there would/should have been a tag at one time and the presence of sew holes would be a give away. The chin strap for it appears to be from a different model helmet though, originals had a sheepskin chin. Rigger earcups look good on both. The cloth helmet looks an awful lot like a A8, the center circle was cut out to facilitate the ANB-H-1 receivers. To really confirm whether or not these are B5/A8's I would need to see more photos?

[8thairforce]

Nice helmets !

[Maple Creek]

I was able to land these two flight helmets. Turns out the cloth helmet was an A-8. What would be the vintage of this?

[Maple Creek]

It's a rigger modified A-8.

[Maple Creek]

Here's a better view of the B-5.

[Maple Creek]

The label on the B-5 is not quite legible.

[littlebuddy]

Deffo a B5

 

LB

[mr_lits]

Yep, A8 & B5 flight helmets. Early-mid war period.