fighter pilot helmet Higbee 116 sqd

[Niki]

I bought this helmet online with the son of this pilot beqause his father past away that year.

He told me that his father was a fighter pilot flying F-94 starfire when using this helmet and that he was awarded with the purple heart for claiming 2 air kills on his name .

is there a site that i can look for information about the history of this pilot?

[Bluespicker]

The F-94 was an interceptor and used mostly in Air defense (ADC). There were some flown in Korea in an air defense role but those pilots would have been wearing P-Series helmets as it was years before the HGU-2/P was introduced. Your helmet is actually an HGU-2 A/P which probably dates to the mid 1960s. Long after the F-94 left service.

The tape job is very nice but the helmet shows zero use. Don't think it was ever flown in its current configuration.

The purple heart is awarded for a wound received in combat. All in all, the story doesn't seem to check out. No one would have been flying an F-94 in combat after the HGU-2 A/P was introduced. If a pilot were wounded twice, he would probably also have a couple Air Medals. Doing some research on HIGBEE to see if I can find him. Think its a long shot at this point though....

[Niki]

OK thanks.

this was the info i got from his son and it was six years ago i bought the helmet.

On the back side you can see clearly use of the helmet but you can not see it enough on the pics.

Thats why i want to do research on the pilot.

[Bluespicker]

The Purple Heart is awarded for being wounded in combat and has nothing to do with kill claims. Which makes the story a bit suspicious is anyone who served in the US military wouldn't make a mistake like that as we all know what a purple heart is. I would guess any pilot flying combat in Korea would have been awarded a number of Air Medals or higher (Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross). Just doesn't seem plausible someone would confuse the Purple Heart with any other decoration. It is a mistake a non-military person might make but if the seller's father told him about claimed aerial victories he would have known better than to think it had anything to do with a purple heart. Just not the kind of mistake a military person would make.

 

The F-94 was an interceptor flown mostly in ADC and retired from the USAF in 1957 and was completely out-of-service by 1959. Google F-94 Pilot and you will get a bunch of photos of F-94 pilots all wearing P Series helmets.

In Korea the F-94 functioned in an air defense role and also as a night fighter and bomber escort. Fact is, there were only a few air-to-air F-94 kills and they are well documented.

 

Honestly, the decoration looks more like Canadian Forces (CF) helmets I have seen in the past. Where did it come from? Do you know the person's rank or unit?

[Niki]

I think that the story is mixed up with time by the son of mr Higbee.

Now you mention the facts ,its confusing beqause i never thought about it

My guesse is that his father was flying F-94 in korea with two airial kils and after the war was flying in other types of aircraft maybe T-33.

Then this was the helmet of the T-33 and had a purple heart for a mission he flow.

I bought the helmet from the US and that was the story with the helmet included in the packedge.

The 116 on the helmet ,is this not the sqd numbre then?

[Third Herd]

Could the aircraft on the helmet be an F-89? The 116 on the side could be for the 116th FIS Washington ANG who flew F-89's into the mid-1960's.

[Niki]

Hi third herd.

 

That would explain alot .

Giong to contact the son again for further information , its easy to mistake the aircraft beqause the outlines are almost the same.

[Niki]

Just went on the Wikipedia and found under the history of the 116th FIS Washington that the sqd was using the F-94 starfire from 1955 and then switch on th F-89D scorpion in 1957.

can understand the confussion from the son of mr Higbee, it could explaines alot.

[Bluespicker]

I have seen this type of decoration in the past but it was RCAF. U.S. Squadrons don't normally go by the number such as 116 but RCAF do. I think the helmet and mask are authentic and I believe they were used together. It is a really nice looking set. And I can well understand the son mixing up the decorations. Honestly, it looks to be Canadian as the US helmets from this era tend to have the ADC reflective tape stripes (Orange and white). Ironically, the RCAF used similar decorations as many were in NORAD and ADC as part of a joint effort. I was at 24th ADC in 73-77 and we had Canadian forces in our unit. We were ground control mainly with the 186th FIS, 5th FIS and 178th FIS.

[Niki]

Hi bluespicker,

 

So maybe you think that this is a RCAF helmet for a T-33 pilot but why would the son of the pilot teld me whole other story?

Dont make sense?

Did the pilots exchange helmets during NORAD and ADC ?

I'm not a expert on this mater but if you have seen this kind of decoration on helmets in real life , then i have to belief you .

Weird...

[northcoastaero]

Sharp looking HGU-2A/P helmet and MBU-5/P mask! The helmet could possibly be from the late 1960s era also with the later Shepard Airtronics white visor lock knob assy.? The MBU-5/P mask is in an earlier configuration with the single loop bayonets as opposed to the later T bayonets. Are the earcups the gray triangular type or the oval type? I have heard that some units could have a T-33 trainer aircraft attached to a squadron flying a different type of aircraft. The purpose of the T-33 could have been for training and/or gaining additional flight time. Hope this helps.