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45th Chaplain Helmet - Thoughts / Update


MasonK
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looks like the 45th I had once and could very well be it in post 45

Costa,

 

That was your 45th, I picked it up from you when you put it on Ebay some years ago.

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REV. HARRY C. RYNARD



CHICAGO TRIBUNE JUNE 30, 1989





Mass for the Rev. Harry C. Rynard, 87, a former chaplain in the Illinois National Guard, will be said at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in St. Catherine of Siena- St. Lucy Catholic Church, 38 N. Austin Blvd., Oak Park. Father Rynard died Wednesday in Loyola University Hospital, near Maywood. He was a pastor emeritus of St Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church and a former pastor of St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4200 N. Sheridan Rd. Father Rynard also taught at Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He was a retired Army colonel who served in World War II. He is survived by a sister, Alice Metzger.




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I received the Chaplain's helmet in the mail.

I will post photos of the cross area/front and back to show how it was mounted later tonight.

Looks like both the pot and liner had crosses on them.

I would like opinions on the painted insignia on the steel pot.

Steel pot is a FS Schlueter.

 

Before I post the photos of the insignia, I want to outline the information so far.

 

1. The pot IMHO is undisputedly a Chaplain's helmet because there was clearly a cross affixed to the steel pot. Two holes were drilled in front of the helmet. The cross was inserted (stems into holes). Then the stems were melted which held the cross in place. One of the holes is still filled with the remaining silver from one of the melted stems. (I WILL POST MORE PHOTOS OF THIS AREA TONIGHT). Also the heat burnt the back of the cross into the front o the steel pot which is what you are seeing in the photos as an imprint of the cross. There is discoloration from the brazing inside the pot behind where the cross would be mounted.

 

2. The laundry mark R0707 is a dead match to Harry Rynard who also happened to be the Chaplain on the 45ths roster.

 

3. I have no issues with the painted insignia on the liner. I know that the ones side was touched up but that very well could have been period IMHO. Also you can see on the liner where a cross was affixed which tends to show they are a likely match.

 

4. I purchased the helmet from a toy dealer/picker who posted it on Facebook. He did not know it was a Chaplain's helmet until that info was brought to his attention via other Facebook members. He certainly did not know that the laundry mark matched Chaplain Rynard (that was discovered by a fellow Forum member).

 

5. The chinstraps are somewhat brittle and for what its worth, the laundry number appears to have been there a long time.

 

SO, if we conclude that the helmet insignia was faked, the faker would have had to purchase a Chaplain's helmet which happens to have the laundry mark consistant with the Chaplain of the 45th. Then decide to add the insignia to make the helmet more valuable. But for some reason never add the crosses back on the helmet and liner.

 

All that being said, I am confused about the paint on the insignia. It appears upon close inspection that a yellow square was painted first. Then a stencil was used to spray the red over the yellow which created the insignia. BUT there appears to be cracks in the insignia (both red and yellow).

The red appears to have filled the cracks. The red also appears to be spider webbed and raised over the yellow (mainly on one side of the helmet).

 

I can not tell whether someone carefully painted tiny red lines on top OR whetehr there was some sort of paint reaction which caused the red to break up the yellow. Then the red filled the cracks (maybe the yellow had not dried when the red was added??).

 

Also the red lines mainly appear on one side of the helmet. On the other side it mostly appears that the red ran into the cracks in the yellow. Maybe left on one side to dry?? Also there appears to be raised spider web type areas under the yellow.

 

Anyway I would really appreciate your thoughts.

I believe I can return the helmet if it appears to be a repro.

There just seems to be too many coincidences pointing toward legit so I want to be as sure as possible before making my decision.

 

Thank you in advance.

post-63438-0-38042500-1548344686_thumb.jpg

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Area on liner - You can see where cross was affixed.

 

Are of cross measures one inch tall on pot and liner which is consistent with WWII era Chaplain cross.

post-63438-0-78378100-1548344910.jpg

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SIDE A.

 

This is the side I have less issues with.

It appears there are cracks in the yellow filled by red paint but I see few of the spider webbed red lines which appear raised.

post-63438-0-49115600-1548345209.jpg

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ADMIN NOTICE: I've merged the two topics so as to remove confusion over two discussions about the same helmet.

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