AAF flight helmet with various division patches

[1canpara]

Well this is an odd duck indeed but I just had to have it because it was so unique and unusual. I'm not a flight helmet guy, but I thought this one was interesting enough to take a chance on.

 

Anyone want to toss out any theories on the significance of the division patches sewn on? Perhaps he flew in support of these units and decided to attach their patches in honor of that, or displaying his combat accomplishments kind of like Boy Scout achievement badges...?

 

In any case, it's a unique piece....

 

Rick

 

 

 

 

[littlebuddy]

that is a crazy piece Rick !!

[1canpara]

that is a crazy piece Rick !!

Yeah it is a bit wacky isn't it Carl? It's in great condition though and has the earpieces intact, too bad the wiring harness isn't with it.

[littlebuddy]

I take it Rick , it is an AN-H-15 helmet ?

[1canpara]

I take it Rick , it is an AN-H-15 helmet ?

Not sure Carl, I'll have to check it later. As I said I'm not really a flight helmet guy...I like them and think they're cool, but can't really tell the variations and models, there's so many out there it seems!

 

I'll check and let you know

[raylemere]

nice find!

[Matthew1945]

I hope your hypothesis is correct Rick, that'd be one unique story to dive deeper into. Great find!

[38Driver]

Honestly, I think a kid got it at the surplus store along with some patches and got mom to sew them on. When I was a kid way back when, the surplus store had bins of patches all mixed together. Grab a handful and you were on your way.

 

Still have some of those patches

[Steve B.]

I'm with 38Driver. The local surplus store had patches for 5 or 10 cents each in the 1960s.

 

It also had a bin full of the khaki flight helmets for dirt cheap well into the 1970s. For some reason, no one was interested.

 

This helmet would look really cool to a kid, and he's got no more than a couple of bucks into it. Less if he was given the patches by friends & relatives as I was.

[Bluespicker]

Okay... so this helmet has a 100th Infantry Division Patch, 5th Infantry Mechanized; Blue Phoenix is South East Asia command; The blue dragon looks like 18th Airborne Division. Is it even possible someone could be all those places? Weird thing: if the patches are original WWII, aren't they worth a bit of money at this point?

[BROBS]

I think added by a kid as well.

Not possible to have been near all those units.

 

-Brian

[1canpara]

The kid-applied patch theory is perfectly realistic once I think through it, especially given the input from you guys. I didn't recognise the Southeast Command patch so that one in particular blows apart any ETO association

 

Whatever its origin it's a quirky little piece and for the price I paid, it's worth having for the sum of the parts alone

 

Thanks for all the input!

 

Rick