Moonlight Gecko Posted August 8, 2018 Share #1 Posted August 8, 2018 I picked this up this helmet and gear from the veteran's son who told me his father was a medic in France. When I turned over the helmet I was very surprised at what I saw. Hope you guys enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted August 8, 2018 Inside of the helmet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted August 8, 2018 close up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchangelDM Posted August 8, 2018 Share #4 Posted August 8, 2018 Wow !!!! Man thats one lucky find, whats the history on the medic Congrats Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgtdorango Posted August 8, 2018 Share #5 Posted August 8, 2018 Nice find!....can you see the helmets lot #?....mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M24 Chaffee Posted August 8, 2018 Share #6 Posted August 8, 2018 Great pickup! Hope you were able to receive more information from the family. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthytyler Posted August 8, 2018 Share #7 Posted August 8, 2018 Promising find! Congrats! Look forward to seeing more photos and hearing from the experts on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchfoot Posted August 8, 2018 Share #8 Posted August 8, 2018 And is that a bullet hole?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant G. Posted August 8, 2018 Share #9 Posted August 8, 2018 Very much looking forward to seeing some high res. photos of this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share #10 Posted August 9, 2018 Thanks for the replies, guys. here are some closer pictures. I am trying to find more information on the vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share #11 Posted August 9, 2018 one more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share #12 Posted August 9, 2018 The heat stamp number is 192B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoovieDude Posted August 9, 2018 Share #13 Posted August 9, 2018 Daaaaang brother, you just experienced what most of us dreamt about! Sometimes those are even literal dreams. At least in my case, so I might be the neighborhood "that guy" that everyone winks to each other about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwigh1980 Posted August 9, 2018 Share #14 Posted August 9, 2018 ummm...is it me or does the bail foot that is shown is one of the modern replicas and the brass braising looks too fresh for 60+ years. That as well as being touched up with paint just in that area which would I would think would be highly unlikely in a field repaired helmet. Not an expert, just going off what I have seen in other known originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbmilitaria Posted August 9, 2018 Share #15 Posted August 9, 2018 One loop is a replacement for one that broke and the other appears to be a factory applied loop. With the way the factory loop is bent, it wouldn't surprise me that the other broke if it was bent in the same fashion. I don't recall what the d-loop lot number range is off the top of my head, but this one looks okay to me from the photos provided so far. Straight on photos of both feet of the factory applied loop would be helpful. They way the chinstraps are sewn is exactly what I would want to see on field replaced chinstraps. Just my opinion with the photos provided so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted August 9, 2018 Share #16 Posted August 9, 2018 Right as rain. Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken88 Posted August 10, 2018 Share #17 Posted August 10, 2018 I too do have some concerns... The brass welding reminds me of Kashetta's helmets. Also wonder why they would sew on new straps when all you have to do is reinsert the original ones before welding the loops back on. Someone even put in the effort of repainting them in the field? The loops feet also aren't "right as rain" from what is shown here. It's easy for someone like Kashetta to take a pair of fake loops and hide the wrong feet under a bit of welding. I know these helmets were often passed on to medics and particularly nurses, but without any ID this just raises more concerns. Not saying the helmet's fake at all but wouldn't be too quick in waving green flags. For all we know this could be Kashetta's doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchangelDM Posted August 10, 2018 Share #18 Posted August 10, 2018 Moonlight what was paid for the set ? Also did he have photos of his father wearing it. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchfoot Posted August 10, 2018 Share #19 Posted August 10, 2018 I think it stands a chance, but I'm really curious... Is that a bullet hole?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted August 10, 2018 Share #20 Posted August 10, 2018 Ken the feet on the bails are probably not right because they were broken and when repaired they made do with what they had.....right as rain. Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberThe5thESB Posted August 10, 2018 Share #21 Posted August 10, 2018 Just a quick question, what does the paint outside the shell near the repaired bail look like? Is that repainted too? Also, nice looking pot! Also @Ronnie I'm just curious, I've seen and heard a lot that paratroopers repaired D bails by brazing, I'm just curious to hear where in the world they got the supplies to do so. It'd be nice to have some light shed on that for me! Thanks. Sent from my SM-J327V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted August 11, 2018 Share #22 Posted August 11, 2018 I would imagine that these things were repaired behind the lines by the guys that worked on vehicles. That is just speculation on my part. Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberThe5thESB Posted August 11, 2018 Share #23 Posted August 11, 2018 Possibly, and when I say this I am by no means an expert collector on helmets or welding genius, but I've always found it strange as to why the braze welds are brass or copper brazing. To my understanding it is possible to braze or weld those materials to stainless steel, not normal steel or manganese steel for that matter. It just reminds me of other forms of welding too, I can't use the positive negative set up for aluminum welding on steel, doesn't work. I can't use a normal stick electrode to weld cast iron, due to discrepancies in the make up of the types of steel or iron. (Also this and the amount of heat required to melt metal, but that can be explained by engineers or people with the right equipment in field to do so.) I again am by no means an expert on these things, but I do weld quite a lot, brazing is a different story. Or helmets either. Any body have an explanation for this? Sent from my SM-J327V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Gecko Posted August 11, 2018 Author Share #24 Posted August 11, 2018 Here is another picture of the repair. I found that the veteran was part of a Medical Detachment stationed in Normandy. The son didn't know much about his service other than he was a corporal and a medic's aid in France and Germany and that he was present at the Granville POW Raid. He didn't seem too interested in discussing much further.The veteran's partial serial number is written on the field gear. There was no mention of the D bails when I bought the helmet. Archangel, the price for the group was less than $100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberThe5thESB Posted August 11, 2018 Share #25 Posted August 11, 2018 I just want to say I'm not claiming that your helmet is fake! Sorry if I came off that way. I just found the way they were repaired was odd. And the technique used. It's a beautiful shell with a lot of history behind it. Thanks for sharing it! Sent from my SM-J327V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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