WW2 AN-H-15 named to 'COEN' with oxy snaps

[BROBS]

Ran across this one and thought I'd share.

Could be Oscar H. Coen? Could be Bernard J Coen? Not sure how to know.

 

Was found in Denver, Colorado.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like it was issued by not worn.

Thanks for checking it out!

-Brian

[BROBS]

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/166830

 

http://iagenweb.org/wwii/WWIISurnames_C/CoenBernardJ.html

 

http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/grasshopper.htm

 

 

 

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[phantomfixer]

Nice helmet very clean....the strap will help tell if early or late pattern

[BROBS]

Thanks.

 

What do you mean about the strap?

 

 

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[BROBS]

Can anyone find any other person besides those two named 'COEN' as possibilities? I can't find any USN pilots or crew with that name either.

 

 

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[doyler]

Might be tough to get a hit.Common name like Smith.

 

Im not much of a researcher but try looking at the obituaries from the area it was sourced from.

[BROBS]

It really isn't common at all with this spelling. I think that's why I'm only finding really 2 hits.

 

COHEN is very common.

 

 

 

 

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[doyler]

Right.

 

I was thinking looking at the spelling with H.

 

If not a name wonder what its letters stand for?

[BROBS]

Good point!! could be letters representing something else!

 

 

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[BROBS]

Nice helmet very clean....the strap will help tell if early or late pattern

Any input on this?

[BROBS]

I am thinking this may have been Bernard Coen's.. probably issued the helmet but didn't use it since he was a liaison pilot for the 8th ID... using small, low flying planes. Every photo of him flying or by a plane he's just wearing a hat, headphones, and sunglasses.

 

 

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[pararaftanr2]

Brobs,

These weren't used by Navy or Marine pilots, only USAAF, so don't waste your time looking there. If he was a liason pilot, he would have been issued one of these, even if he didn't actually use it. May explain the condition.

Regards, Paul

[BROBS]

Paul,

I have a grouping to a USN pilot who had one of these helmets I believe. I'll have to pull it out and check.

 

-Brian

 

 

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[pararaftanr2]

If Navy, it should be the similar AN-6540, or AN-6542, both made by Slote & Klein. Minor details would be different and it would not say "AN-H-15" on the label.

[BROBS]

Paul I should have known you were right on the money!! As usual.

 

It sure is different. I guess that's what happens when you don't look at your stuff enough!!

 

 

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[pararaftanr2]

No worries. From 10 feet away, or more, it's hard to tell the difference. I'm sure the guys who wore them didn't care either.

[BlueBookGuy]

So, could it be safe telling a true100% unmodified AN-H-15 helmet actually has never been officially issued from USN to its flyers?

 

I've compared 'live' the AN-H-15 and the AN-6542. Having my specimen of the former no provisions for oxy. mask's studs (like the Navy counterpart as well) it can be said, only the two rear keepers - snapping at bottom instead than at top - and a slight difference in the chinstrap are the real differencies.

[pararaftanr2]

Franco,

Both helmets are similar because they were part of the Army Navy standardization efforts and shared many, but not all, features. Early AN-H-15 helmets had no oxygen mask snaps when issued. The first A-N equivalent for the Navy, the AN-6540S (summer), had no brow piece, and had black wire buckles for an MSA "D" oxygen mask. As you stated, the goggle keeper straps also had the snap at the top on the Navy helmet and there was a very minor difference in the chin straps of the two. Of course the easiest way to tell the difference is to view the label, where you can see the respective Army or Navy contract number. Slote & Klein was the exclusive contractor for the Navy helmets, while several manufacturers produced the AN-H-15 for the Army. Production of the Navy helmets started in March 1943 and the Army standardized the AN-H-15 in April 1943, so there would have been no reason for the Navy to issue Army flight helmets. For more information, see: https://pilotsmanyourplanes.com/Page_167.html

Regards, Paul

 

 

[BlueBookGuy]

Thanks Paul,

 

if understood correctly they both were AN- yes, but either service didn't want keeping the same item absolutely identical - e.g. the AN-6530 goggles were, instead, conceptually true AN-items if the standardization effort was aimed to level as many issues and complicancies as possible.

AN-6530 could sport different ventilation systems yes, but it wasn't them to make any differencies between Navy goggles and AAF goggles. Perhaps, in the case of flight suits and helmets it was not those very small details that could put in distress the whole system.