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1917a1 Navy camo helmet


sgtbarnes44
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Hi,

Has any one of you membbers got a period picture of a similar camoed helmet in use ?

I do believe it is naval coastal arty battery, as I don't see any usefulness of such a camo aboard a ship.

post-647-0-43278700-1448466110.jpg

 

 

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USMC-RECON0321

Wow, Great looking Camo Kelly Helmet. I actually search for unique Kelly Helmets, either by Camo like yours, painted rank or Unit markings. They don't come around often and even so, for some reason they still don't command much in value compared to the M1 with markings? (Good if you collect these I guess). It's hard to tell in your pictures, but I looks like it has 3 different colors used in the camouflage scheme? Too bad the storage over the years was rough on your helmet, causing the rust to hide much of that great camo job.

 

Of all the years watching for these I've only found 5 to add to my collection;

 

2 with painted rank

2 with unit insignia's

1 with painted camouflage.

 

Very nice find!

Troy

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Wow, Great looking Camo Kelly Helmet. I actually search for unique Kelly Helmets, either by Camo like yours, painted rank or Unit markings. They don't come around often and even so, for some reason they still don't command much in value compared to the M1 with markings? (Good if you collect these I guess). It's hard to tell in your pictures, but I looks like it has 3 different colors used in the camouflage scheme? Too bad the storage over the years was rough on your helmet, causing the rust to hide much of that great camo job.

 

Of all the years watching for these I've only found 5 to add to my collection;

 

2 with painted rank

2 with unit insignia's

1 with painted camouflage.

 

Very nice find!

Troy

Yes, it's a 3 color scheme camo.

Regards

JC

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A great helmet! Sadly, I do not have any photos to share, but I like the Coastal Art. Battery theory for various reasons.

 

On another note, one can only lament the rust. On a helmet like this, it may, or may not, be a candidate for a Whink product made for rust removal. You can find the specs/msds online. I have used it a few times in very select cases where removing the light rust actually enhanced the helmet's appeal and value. Because your helmet has such a unique camo pattern, and no specific history to explain its accrual of rust, it might be a candidate to enhance and preserve the colors, probably more so to enhance the color pattern, I think, as these helmets certainly do not rust out over nite. I suspect that some of the rust is too entrenched judging by your photos, but other areas look light.

 

I did not bring it up so we can have an endless argument over to Whink, or not Whink, LOL. Just a thought I had when I viewed your photos. If the rust is too much, I think it would look great on my shelf.

 

best,

pat

 

 

 

post-3673-0-14002900-1448485469.jpg

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The US Army handled coast artillery duties for the US military (along with some expeditionary USMC Defense Battalions), not the US Navy. The Army branch was the Coast Artillery Corps.

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looks like something used by early war time anti aircraft gunners on ships or landing craft maybe around 1938 - 1942 Wake Island , Guadalcanal, Pearl Harbor.

 

the camo looks like it would work well with the netting they used to hide the gun emplacements & shore batteries.

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The US Army handled coast artillery duties for the US military (along with some expeditionary USMC Defense Battalions), not the US Navy. The Army branch was the Coast Artillery Corps.

I agree, the camouflage is not restricted to USN.

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USMC-RECON0321

Those are navy colors. Maybe not storage as much as salt water causing the rust to take hold.

 

I would agree, IF this was an M1 helmet and not a Kelly helmet, because the M1 helmets stayed in service and on navy ships for many many years, but not the Kelly helmet that was so short lived. Matter of fact, I've found very few pictures of the Kelly Helmet actually being used on a ship for sea duty. Yes, many are documented at ship yards, Ports, Bases, coastal defense etc. I'm also thinking storage damage from the condition of the leather liner. I've seen plenty of ship attributed helmets that still have great paint and minimal rust if any. Somewhere's on USMF is a thread of one of the members who was tasked with inventorying many helmets found still on a WWII ship turned museum and it was amazing how nice they were. I'll post a link it if I can find it again. Anyway, my point is, people tend to repeat what others have said (all Navy helmets are rusty because of salt water, or if its a real navy helmet it should be rusted and so on) vs actually researching many un-messed with legit ones that are found rust free or very little rust on them.

 

Troy

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USMC-RECON0321

I agree, the camouflage is not restricted to USN.

 

Here is the only camouflage one I have. This obviously camouflaged for land duties.

 

post-33000-0-84251200-1448491462.jpg post-33000-0-80788000-1448491487.jpg post-33000-0-84675700-1448491601.jpg

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I have a question, and I am not trying to be a smartass, but why would a Coast artillery helmet need an at sea camo paint job. The arty is on the beach, and an at sea camo paint job would be useless. I know there were some at sea jobs in the Coast Artillery, and this type of camo paint scheme could be useful for some of those limited jobs. I think it is more likely a USN or a USCG camo helmet.

 

This camo paint job is similar to the US Navy camo paint in this thread.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/247641-blue-camo-helmet/?hl=%2Bnavy+%2Bcamo&do=findComment&comment=1977816

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There are a lot of photos of M1917A1's in use by the Navy; not just during WWII but prewar too. That said, yes many were replaced by the M1 by the end of 1942. From what I gather, the helmets seem to have been an limited inventory item until hostilities broke out; then each ship needed more. If you look around, you can find photos of crewmen on the same ship sporting both types of helmet side by side.

 

The paint shades look right. Who knows who actually wore it, but whoever painted it had Navy paint colors.

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don't see any usefulness of such a camo aboard a ship.

 

 

Camouflage aboard ship was a noted concern before Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.

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