Jump to content

Ebay listed Korea era steel pot with marked liner. What do you think?


The Rooster
 Share

Recommended Posts

The Rooster

Greetings all!

This I think is a sweet 1950's era steel pot with a good condition

liner thats marked.

What do you think?

 

It's the last one of 5 that I picked up in the last week.

I think its the best of 5.

 

Any and all thoughts opinions are welcome.

 

Thank you

post-181333-0-43719900-1555355822_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Rooster

1 Close ups of the clips... Im seeing green? Dont know if thats because I want to see it or I see green?

I wont know for sure until it comes in.

Does the double crimp on each side of the seam indicate anything?

 

post-181333-0-90434200-1555363142.jpg

post-181333-0-16853600-1555363154_thumb.jpg

post-181333-0-96430700-1555363252.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Rooster

I looked up the Name Captain Sardis and I came up with a Lt Sardis on Occupation duty

after ww2 and then I came up with a Lt Col Samuel W Sardis

killed in a plane crash in ohio in 1964.. Doesnt mean anything...

Could be it says sardas not sardis. I better wait till I get it...

 

http://www.remarkableohio.org/index.php?/category/1739

 

https://www.508pir.org/taps/accidents/sardis_01.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This liner at least and probably then the shell will be a 60s worn one, for the 3rd Battle Group 11th Infantry, 83rd Infantry Division, after 1963, either the 3rd and or 4th Battalions 11th Infantry.

 

 

In the very late 50s Reserve Divisions that were still combat divisions where reorganized under CARS/PENTOMIC reorganization, and oddly where given regular army numbered infantry battalions, here now called Battle Groups, in 1963 or so, the new ROAD reorganizations came into affect, and Battle Groups where retitled Battalions, in the 83rd Div, a reserve division in Ohio, it received another 11th Infantry unit to supplement it, the 4th Battalion.

 

So the Ohio connection with Sardis looks promising, as mentioned the 83rd Div was from Ohio.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Rooster

I just got the Steel Pot in today…… Its scuffed a bit has a few dents and a stress crack in the back.

The liner looks at one time to have been painted infantry blue. Its blue underneath the green and there is another 83 div sticker on the blue

coating.. You can see the outline above the visible decal. Could have been an OCS liner at one time. I was in OCS and we had to paint our liners infantry blue

and a lot of johnsons paste wax.

The other decal is 11 infantry thanks to help from patches and some other great folks on here for identifying it for me.

The name Capt Sardis is written on the headband - looks to be old ball point pen.

A LT Col Sardis was killed april 18th 1964 54 years and one day before this helmet arrived at my house.

I don't know if it was Samuel W Sardis Helmet at one point? He was a paratrooper but I am guessing that as a captain he held a non jumping slot for a short time or that he had a field helmet and a helmet for garrison and other times that he wore when not jumping or in the field?

Just a guess of course. But it seems period correct for the late 50's.

The plane crash in 1964 occurred just outside Wilmington Ohio.

I purchased it from a guy who lives in Wilmington.

Its got the 83rd decal.. 11 inf decal and the chin strap hardware on the pot is painted green.

Its a westinghouse micarta liner.

The number on the Pot as best as I can make out is either an I47 or a 147.

I have no idea of the meaning of these numbers???

Im leaning towards this being at one time the steel pot and liner of then Captain Samuel. W. Sardis.

He was a Lt Colonel when he died at 43 on April 18th 1964.

He was in ww2 having enlisted in 1943 Bronze Star Medal recipient on his grave marker.

Thanks to member AZNATION for looking up his info. Apparently he was with the 508th parachute Infantry his whole career.

He was a reservist in special forces when he died with 16 others 54 years ago yesterday.

What do you folks think. Its all conjecture of course… But is the steel pot and the liner and its markings all time period correct for the mid to late 1950's?

And is it possible a Captain had a jump helmet and a garrison helmet?

The whole thing although a bit scuffed and dinged here and there has an overall look of being an officers helmet.. Its neat and tidy and squared away looking like a Captains steel Pot should look. Know what I mean? They always look StracK or strac how ever you spell it. This looks like a Captain would have worn it.

 

Rooster

post-181333-0-34950800-1555697997_thumb.jpg

post-181333-0-07777200-1555698025.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Rooster

I also want to point out that this helmet was not $300.00 or anything. It was 95.00 with the shipping and the seller made no mention of the signature.

This is not about money for me at all. Its about the history behind the helmet. I collected wings for a year. In that time I never found a wing that could be traced to anyone.

Wings are a cool item to collect but with gear especially helmets, you can tie a name to them…. They have more meaning.

I guess theres no way to prove it was Captain Sardis Helmet. But I am very interested in anyones opinions on the helmet.

For instance.. I am sure someone knows the year the helmet was produced by the 142 or I 42? I don't know the numbers.

Thoughts appreciated. And it will not… I repeat will not wind up on ebay. Not in my lifetime anyway….

If I can find any family it will wind up there or stay with me.

Thank you.

 

Rooster

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Rooster

Fyi the posts I made today on this helmet start at number 15.

Scroll up.

Thank you.

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...