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M1 Helmet, Hawley liner, cammo paint and ID'd to 70th Infantry ?


TMCA05
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This helmet walked into a show and is being offered to me. It was found at a local Goodwill. I have the sellers info and we are "talking" at this point.

 

I looks legit to me, but the condition, cammo and Hawley liner do not match the time period that the 70th was overseas (late 1944-1945). If the paint is period applied, could it be from training in the US?

 

Does anyone see any "red flags" or have any answers that might help me in making a fair offer on this.

 

Sorry about the limited photos, it was the best I could do at the time with my phone.

post-2967-0-41538700-1448812381.jpg

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Any ideas on the camo?

 

I have been going through 100's of period photos of 70th ID and none show any camo helmets like this. I also can not see anyone in Europe with a Hawley liner either. I do see Hawley liners in training photos.

Based on the condition and type helmet, I can not see this helmet going through the war in Europe and then getting back to the US. My guess is that it is 100% correct, but was used in training and never actually went overseas. Just a thought on my part.

I would love to find a photo of someone in the 70th wearing one in Europe with this type of camo pattern on it or with a Hawley liner.

 

I will make a fair offer, obviously if I can convince myself that it was used in Europe, I will pay much more.

 

Many great photos on this site: http://www.trailblazersww2.org/photos.htm

 

Dave

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Looks like you have a last name and a partial ASN in the liner, so it should be fairly easy to research. My only concern would be if the shell is the original mate to the liner. Matching the rust patterns on the liner may give you a clue as to how long they have been together. Otherwise, the helmet looks good to me and definitely has some history to it.

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The rust dos not match. The liner is pretty clean on top, but the shell has had water sitting in it at one time. Looks like termite wings are still in it :-)

post-2967-0-91238200-1448820212.jpg

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Last photo is in my private collection.. I don't know about the helmet as I haven't seen any 70th camo M1's in the field. Liner looks good as there were a lot of variations in how they put their names on and the size of the axe. Here's my 70th liner:

post-4808-0-19949700-1448821242.jpg

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PS: the named liners were only used during their training in the States. I've just provided some pictures and information for the current Trailblazer magazine about this topic. We are hoping some Veterans can tell us more about the painted liners.

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USMC-RECON0321

The rust dos not match. The liner is pretty clean on top, but the shell has had water sitting in it at one time. Looks like termite wings are still in it :-)

 

You can't always go by just matching rust spots or the lack there of, on the top of the liner vs the inside dome of the shell. If a helmet was stored over many years in damp conditions or condensation build up in temperature changes while setting upside down, there could easily be rust formed in the dome and not the top of the liner. The liners were made to fit inside the shells but with a slight gap between the top of the liner and the shell. Just something to keep in mind while evaluating a helmet set.

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I like the liner. The shell is interesting. If the price is right jump on it. I don't think the liner and shell have been together since the war. The camo on the shell is just strange. Someone had access to quite a lot of white paint, but they did not paint the entire helmet white. The PFC mark looks fresher than the white splotches, and a different color. So it was painted later than the camo. Just odd.

 

The liner is nice and correct, so just that is worth the buy. But the lack of insect damage or rust marks on the fabric of the Hawley almost make me certain the liner was not with the shell and has not been for very long.

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