jdsco Posted July 9, 2016 Share #1 Posted July 9, 2016 I am a fixed wing multi-engine and rotary wing pilot. I have been flying for 43 years. I have all of my fathers things from WWII/Korea. My father served in WWII as a USMC Naval Aviator South Pacific and the Korean War as a USMC helicopter pilot in the original HMX-1 and VMO-6. I believe the VMO was Observation primarily and MASH Evac. I have had his H3 (?) helmet for decades as he passed in 1994. I have several pictures of pilots and my father wearing this type of helmet during helicopter cold weather op's. I am wanting to know if the "cloth" head helmet belongs with this H3? Are these items common? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted July 9, 2016 I do not know if this helmet was required for mission flight or cold weather op's. Ther.e are several photos wher the USMC cap was worn under headset. Sykorsky HO5S (civilian S-52) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted July 9, 2016 Share #3 Posted July 9, 2016 looks like it goes with it...but the front upper retention straps have been cut?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northcoastaero Posted July 9, 2016 Share #4 Posted July 9, 2016 Nice H-3 or H-4 helmet. The H-3 helmet has two buckles on the sides for liner adjustment. The H-4 has one. Sometimes people get the two helmets confused. I believe the H-4 was issued just after the Korean War. The cloth liner that you have is correct for a later H-3/early H-4. The earlier H-3 liners have three snaps on each side for oxygen mask attachment instead of two. The two snaps on the front and the two on the back of the H-3/H-4 shell were added at a later date to help keep the helmet from blowing off during egress from the aircraft. Earlier helmets just had the snaps on the sides for the chin strap/liner attachment. Communications for helmet liner: -Early--9824 receiver earphones for use with a spliced communications cable with a PL-54 or similar plug. -Middle--P/O AN-H-87/U earphones for use with a one piece rubber cable with a large rectangular junction connecting the 4 earphone wires to the main cable. Has PJ-054B plug. -Late--P/O H-87A/U earphones for use with a one piece rubber cable with molded in plug, AN-H-87A/U cable. Based on the helmet and liner that you have pictured, I would probably use the middle era earphone/cable/plug set. Probably from 1953 time frame. -The boom microphone would have a square black colored carbon element on a fixed (not break-away) boom with a male PL-291 plug. -The goggles were probably a variation of the B-8 marked USN on the top. The goggle strap would probably be partial elastic/canvas with a snap on each side for the helmet. The goggle lens could be gray or clear. Possibly green or amber also? -The oxygen mask used would be a MS-22001/A-13A green rubber with cotton (not nylon) helmet attachment straps. Mounted in rubber loops on the mask and not the metal X bracket. Mask microphone would be the AN-B-MC1 with a black rubber cable and PL-291 plug. The hose end connector would be the 191A2 with a green bottom. -There was also a nylon liner with a mesh top for the H-4 helmets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northcoastaero Posted July 9, 2016 Share #5 Posted July 9, 2016 The white helmet pictured with the gold helmet is probably a H-1 or H-2. The liner in the helicopter photo has silver colored snaps with natural colored leather tabs. The helmet liner that you have has black colored snaps with green dyed/painted leather tabs. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly USMC Posted July 9, 2016 Share #6 Posted July 9, 2016 Great helmet and comments. I am continually amazed by the level of knowledge by members of this forum. JDSCO, welcome aboard and I look forward to seeing other items from your father. Semper Fly, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted July 9, 2016 This is my father, not sure of the date but I believe it's 1950-1952 time. That's the helmet. I'm recalling my Dad removing the ear phones/jack from the cloth helmet so I could wear the cloth helmet for Halloween. I might have been 8 or 9 , don't really know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted July 9, 2016 I thank you all and appreciate your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northcoastaero Posted July 9, 2016 Share #9 Posted July 9, 2016 The H-3 in the Korean War photos probably does not have the front and rear snaps added for the liner yet. I believe the snaps were added around 1953-1954 for the H-3 and H-4 helmets in at least high performance aircraft. Patrol aircraft like the P2V Neptune may not have had the additional snaps added to their helmets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted July 22, 2016 I discovered this picture, finally. My father is on the left Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share #11 Posted July 22, 2016 Additional pic of 2 of the previous picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted July 22, 2016 With the O2 mask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsco Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share #13 Posted July 22, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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