Jump to content

USN Hospital Corpsman Helmet with Photo, USS Roberts (DE-749)


Burning Hazard
 Share

Recommended Posts

Burning Hazard

I bought this helmet off eBay and after e-mailing the seller, to my surprise, he told me that this was his helmet that he wore aboard USS Roberts (DE-749) from 1949-1950.

 

Helmet belonging to hospitalman second class Maurice H. Bates, he also included a copy of a photo which he stated is the same helmet. WWII Front seam, SB Schlueter shell with matching Firestone liner, the chinstraps are crude repairs using some sort of material with original hook + buckle.

 

I do not have any more information, I'm still in contact with the veteran so I'll request more information from him.

 

Thoughts?

 

Pat

post-8715-0-48397600-1553489452_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Umm, the helmet in the photo looks like it has it's cross on the side and the one you posted has it on the front and your side shot shows no indication of a cross having been on it. Am I missing something?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burning Hazard

Yes, I realized the there was something off about the helmet in the photo, I asked the vet some questions but he was not keen on answering other than sending me another e-mail thanking me that it’s in good hands.

 

Guess the lesson is, buy the helmet and not the story.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the same.Just photo looks like optical illusion from angle.

 

If thats his white cap in photo in the front the thing looks really large due to angle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

manayunkman

The photo of the helmet is badly distorted.

 

You can see the wave in the shelf, which should be straight.

 

Something happened to the negative.

 

I love the photo of the relaxing sailors.

 

Notice the different footwear.

 

Great helmet with provenance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

stealthytyler

You can see the rosettes in the photo. It is not the original. This is likely a photocopy of the original image on paper. The person that took this photo of the copy did not shoot the paper laying flat thus the distortion of the image. You can see the focal plane going top to bottom in the middle. The left and right sides of the image slowly fall out of focus. This means that the middle of the image is closer to the camera than the sides. Regardless, the Red Cross appears slightly lower on the shell in the b/w image than the helmet you have.

 

Either way, cool looking helmet and let us know if you get any more info on it from the man himself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That helmet in the photo really does look like a side photo, and the fact that the seller is now dodging questions gives me a bad feeling. Have you checked his name on muster rolls? The seller would also be born around 1930, meaning that he is nearly ninety and is now selling his original selling stuff on eBay. I guess that’s possible. And that fresh white paint with rust on the interior? Too many red flags, sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burning Hazard

That helmet in the photo really does look like a side photo, and the fact that the seller is now dodging questions gives me a bad feeling. Have you checked his name on muster rolls? The seller would also be born around 1930, meaning that he is nearly ninety and is now selling his original selling stuff on eBay. I guess that’s possible. And that fresh white paint with rust on the interior? Too many red flags, sorry.

 

nirvana, I checked the helmet thoroughly, it's definitely period painted and not something done recently. As for the interior, it's not white paint, it's chipping and rust stains that match the liner (meaning they've been together for a long time).

I haven't checked the muster rolls yet, but that's a good idea to see if he appears on there. Also, in his e-mail message he said that he's in his 90's and is parting with some of his items; I don't take it as written in stone, I pretty much bought the helmet and not the story.

 

Pat

post-8715-0-93910800-1554179402_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry for the lack of clarity. I meant that the paint on the outside was spotless white, while the inside (as your additional photo demonstrates) has notable rust and pitting, as do the chinstrap bits. You can literally see crisp edges from the stencil tape still. Again, I guess its possible, but I find myself having to explain away this helmets bad traits rather than pointing out its good ones. Your money, your helmet, but it doesnt give me any warm and fuzzy feelings. Check the muster sheets and see if anything comes back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burning Hazard

The outside paint looks spotless on the photos because I increased the brightness and adjusted colors before uploading, I used an iphone to take pics since I don't have a professional camera. The outside paint is original after hand inspection; there are numerous spots where the rust is coming through from the underneath the paint and there are cracks in the white paint as well.

 

I'll try and take some better pics and use the ol loupe to get pics of the cracking and rusting.

 

Pat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...