33rd infantry helmet

[1972firebird]

Hey guys! so yesterday i went onto the section of the forum where it tells you sone stores that sell militaria, i am currently on vacation in florida. I found a store nearby called DMZ militaria, which ended up being a great stop. Its a small place but has alot of high end hard to find objects. I looked through the m-1 helmets available and this is the one i decided on. It is a 33rd helmet with the rank on the pot and liner. I swear i saw this somewhere before online. So maybe someone here had owned it? i also picked up a ww2 T handle shovel, a marksman pin, and a ww1 sword. Thanks for looking and let me know what you think!

[firefighter]

Nice. That stores name sounds familiar. Is that the one in St. Augestine? If so i've been there. Yes nice stuff but's been years since i've been there.

[1972firebird]

yes it is in st. augustine, a small little house but a very large amount of militaria, I was a kid in a candy store when i went inside!

[USMC-RECON0321]

Interesting helmet set. I don't think I've ever seen a WWII 33rd marked helmet before. Is the rank welded on the shell?

 

Congrats on your find.

 

Troy

[firefighter]

yes it is in st. augustine, a small little house but a very large amount of militaria, I was a kid in a candy store when i went inside!

 

I know the feeling. I felt the same way.

[jkash23686]

That looks like one pretty helmet. Got any close ups of the insignia?

[1972firebird]

heres a close up, it seems that the emblem is welded on

[jkash23686]

Yeah im really diggin this one congrats!

-j

[1972firebird]

thanks! I swear i saw this either here or on the warrelics forum before but maybe im just crazy!

[ccyooper]

Interesting. I like colonel helmets. There were not that many of them in a division. Must be very late or post war as I don't see any helmet markings in any of the WWII u tube videos. Did the 33rd mark WWII helmets on the side or front? I don't have any of their unit history books but it would be interesting to know. Thanks for sharing.

[1972firebird]

I know it doesnt help to much but the store owner said it was late ww2, but it is OD7 chinstraps, rear seam, and a heat stamp of 557A, but it is a shluetler, not a mccord

[sgtdorango]

Very cool helmet for sure!....mike

[1972firebird]

thanks!

[1972firebird]

It appears through looking around that there are no other examples that atleast i can find of the 33rd infantry insignia painted on a helmet, only found ww1 brodie helmets with it painted on the front, the same way it is on mine.

[Theorywolf]

I Agree: nice looking helmet you got there!

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[patches]

Nice one.

 

Given that the 33rd Div fought in New Guinea and the Philippines, two places where the wear of colorful Divisional patches, no less officer rank, would not be worn on the helmet, not even in the rear divisional areas we're thinking, you know Nip stragglers/holdouts etc etc, then best guess is that this was done in Japan, the Prairie Div did go up to Japan for occupation duty post VJ Day.

[1972firebird]

Nice one.

 

Given that the 33rd Div fought in New Guinea and the Philippines, two places where the wear of colorful Divisional patches, no less officer rank, would not be worn on the helmet, not even in the rear divisional areas we're thinking, you know Nip stragglers/holdouts etc etc, then best guess is that this was done in Japan, the Prairie Div did go up to Japan for occupation duty post VJ Day.

Sp you are saying you think that it was painted on when the war was over while they were still overseas so they could distinguish?

[1972firebird]

Nice one.

 

Given that the 33rd Div fought in New Guinea and the Philippines, two places where the wear of colorful Divisional patches, no less officer rank, would not be worn on the helmet, not even in the rear divisional areas we're thinking, you know Nip stragglers/holdouts etc etc, then best guess is that this was done in Japan, the Prairie Div did go up to Japan for occupation duty post VJ Day.

So you are saying you think that it was painted on when the war was over while they were still overseas so they could distinguish?

[patches]

So you are saying you think that it was painted on when the war was over while they were still overseas so they could distinguish?

Yeah, a few divisions no doubt did this in Japan, the 1st Cav Div and the 25th Div in example. Not sure if it was done when the 33rd Div was stateside before shipping out, see site below for a few photos, even see that some in the 33rd Div stateside, Ft Lewis I think, wore the British Camo nets. There's that possibility it is from the 50s right, there were a couple of NG Divisions that had their division insignia on the front then rather than the sides, in example the 28th and 29th Divs, but for now I'll settle for Occupation period.

 

 

http://www.33rdinfantrydivision.org/photos.htm

[1972firebird]

ok, I really dont have a clue still, because when looking for examples, there were none, but there were many very similiar ones from ww1. If they were done on ww1 helmets, probably during wartime, then why not on ww2 helmets? and why no other examples?? Many questions!

[1972firebird]

Would you have a reference photo of a 25th inf division helmet painted postwar, id love to see one

[patches]

Would you have a reference photo of a 25th inf division helmet painted postwar, id love to see one

Sure, see this topic, it's a liner, but the insignia is on the sides, but this was just a preference in the 25th. I seen on on a steel helmet long time ago, forgot where. In the Cav there's a few images floating around with the steel helmets, have to look around.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/170059-wwii-25th-inf-div-27th-inf-regt-wolf-hounds-uniform-helmet-help-needed/

[1972firebird]

what is the Cav? I meant i wanted to see a pot marked by the 25th. Sorry i shouldve made that clear. I own a liner marked on the side with the 25th inf like the example you provided. Reason I ask is i was looking for a pot for it and believed they never painted their pots, only the liners. My great grandfather was in the 25th so im collecting a few things to go with his photo.

[patches]

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/200500-100-real-wwii-or-korean-war-1st-cav-painted-liner/

 

Eh one of the photos was deleted, was able to recapture it.

 

 

Now these are just for the 1st Cav Div, however there were loads of the Pacific War Infantry Divisions that were sent up to Japan. Got to check the list, I think only 2 or 3 three weren't sent, then there was three sent to Korea under the 24th Corps, the 6th, 7th and 40th Divisions, so the possibilities are there in regard to insignia on the helmet and liner, trying to find good photos, that's the problem, start buying those unit yearbooks circa 1947

 

 

[1972firebird]

That makes sense, my grandfather said that his dad, the one in the 25th, was shipped overseas and the war ended while he was on his way, but the japanese didnt believe that the war was over so he got there and was still fighting them in the phillipinnes and i thought he said okinawa also. Afterwards he went to japan for a bit.