EXPERIMENTAL / WEIRD US HELMET LINER

[HelmetGuy]

This is a Doron Type 1 HELMET (not a liner).  The suspensions were not removable.

[gitana]

Cool. What are your sources? 

[aef1917]

According to Reynosa, the one-piece Doron helmet was the Type 2.  Type 1 was the liner for use in the standard M1.  He doesn't mention a removable suspension in either one.

[gitana]

I'm trying to find where the removable liner part came from - I wrote it down a long time ago and can't find the source. What I can find so far indicates the suspensions were not removable.  

 

The M1 helmet is in the center.

Doron Type I (left) consists of layers of white cloth of spun glass and cotton, molded into shape by use of a thermoplastic binder. 

Doron Type II (right) similar to Type I except it has an inner layer of brown cloth is brown instead of white. This was intended to be a one-piece helmet. 

 

 

[mikie]

Interesting. All new to me. Thanks for the info.

mikie

[HelmetGuy]

Reynosa is incorrect, both were helmets, not liners.

[aef1917]

Well there's another W for doing your own research.

[Edelweisse]

I’ll throw this out…

 

Could it be a European clone liner?

[gitana]

For anyone who's interested, we're both using the same source, 1947 Report of the Army Ground Forces Board No 3

At least in that report it's pretty clear that both Doron I and II are considered helmets. 

 

However, Doron Type I and Type II are materials, so it's conceivable they tested the Type I as a liner as well as a helmet. 

 

1973 Historical Documentation of the Infantry Helmet ("Doron Type I liner for the M1")

 

(Removable suspensions)

 

The second one is interesting because the Cornell "geodetic" liner wasn't created - as far as I know - until the mid-1950s, by which time the Doron Type I material had been abandoned by the Army. But the source (159) was for the Marine Corps in 1945. Maybe Cornell had been working with the Marine Corps during WWII. Or maybe the author got confused.

. 

 

Whether the OP's helmet (or liner) is Doron, I don't know. I'm making an educated guess based on limited available descriptions. Here's the only period photo I could find of the stuff.