1canpara Posted May 24, 2015 Share #1 Posted May 24, 2015 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 Collector of WWII M-1helmets and WWII Airborne items Link to post Share on other sites
littlebuddy Posted May 24, 2015 Share #2 Posted May 24, 2015 that is a crazy piece Rick !! WANTED : RAF 1940 PATT FLYING BOOTS WANTED : DINGHY TYPE K ,TYPE A " ALWAYS WANTING USAAF ITEMS IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING " "WOULD ALSO LIKE 487th FS AND 515TH BS RELATED ITEMS " "Illegitmi non carborundum" Link to post Share on other sites
1canpara Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted May 24, 2015 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. Collector of WWII M-1helmets and WWII Airborne items Link to post Share on other sites
littlebuddy Posted May 24, 2015 Share #4 Posted May 24, 2015 I take it Rick , it is an AN-H-15 helmet ? WANTED : RAF 1940 PATT FLYING BOOTS WANTED : DINGHY TYPE K ,TYPE A " ALWAYS WANTING USAAF ITEMS IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING " "WOULD ALSO LIKE 487th FS AND 515TH BS RELATED ITEMS " "Illegitmi non carborundum" Link to post Share on other sites
1canpara Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted May 24, 2015 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 Collector of WWII M-1helmets and WWII Airborne items Link to post Share on other sites
raylemere Posted May 24, 2015 Share #6 Posted May 24, 2015 nice find! Ray LeMere In Memory of - -------------------------------------- Dale LeMere (grandfather) pre-Vietnam US ARMY Charles Spiller (great grandfather) WW1 US ARMY Charlie Spiller (great uncle) WW2 PARATROOPER Link to post Share on other sites
Matthew1945 Posted May 24, 2015 Share #7 Posted May 24, 2015 I hope your hypothesis is correct Rick, that'd be one unique story to dive deeper into. Great find! Link to post Share on other sites
38Driver Posted May 25, 2015 Share #8 Posted May 25, 2015 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 Link to post Share on other sites
Steve B. Posted May 25, 2015 Share #9 Posted May 25, 2015 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. Collecting 3rd Armored Division items of all kinds from all eras, specializing in the 36th Armored Infantry Regiment. Link to post Share on other sites
Bluespicker Posted May 25, 2015 Share #10 Posted May 25, 2015 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? Link to post Share on other sites
BROBS Posted May 25, 2015 Share #11 Posted May 25, 2015 I think added by a kid as well. Not possible to have been near all those units. -Brian GOT SEABEE ITEMS? PM ME! Link to post Share on other sites
1canpara Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted May 26, 2015 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 Collector of WWII M-1helmets and WWII Airborne items Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now