42nd Infantry Division helmet belonging to Richard J. Tallman

[Blueprint]

Thought I would give an update on this helmet. 

After posting the helmet on two M1 Helmet Pages on Facebook I came to the conclusion via all the comments that this helmet mostly was issued to a member of the 42nd infantry division.

 

Why? 

 

1. This kind of net was almost issued to every member of the unit

2. The Division got deployed to Europe in late 1943, thus explaining the late war configuration on the helmet and also are there many pictures of members of the 42nd with

    this configuration in combat

3. Many pictures are seen with this helmet, some of them attached via wire to the helmet, just like mine and also with mud on the dome (the soldier on the right of the picture also having paint on the net, like mine)

4. Ranks were painted almost on every helmet ranging from lower ranks to higher ranks 

 

With all theses indications I mostly assume that this helmet belonged to a member of the 42nd. 

 

Blueprint

 

[Blueprint]

And some new pictures of the helmet for your interest.

[Blueprint]

Hello all!

 

After taking a new step in research of the owner, I can tell you all that I did find the owner of this helmet!

Assume that this helmet belonged to a member of the  42nd ID, because of the specifications and the above given pictures of soldiers with this helmet in use in the 42nd ID I looked for the rosters of the 42nd ID and I came upon them.

 

Digging through the rosters of every regiment of the division and having the list beside me of all "T7399" laundry number owners I had a match within the 242nd IR in M-Company.

 

Richard J. Tallman, born 1925 in Honesdale, PA.

 

Richard got enlisted in 1943, the same year as NARA states the enlistment of Tallman "T7399". NARA also states that Tallman "T7399" was born 1925 in PA and enlisted in Wilkes Barres, PA.

Wilkes Barres is 48 miles away from Honesdale, the birthplace of Richard J. Tallman.

 

Then I googled Richard J. Tallman and couldn't believe my eyes. R.J. Tallman was KIA as a Brigade General in Vietnam. 

First I thought, no it can't be him! 

But scrolling through some articles about him I gained these informations:

 

He was born 1925 in Honesdale, PA. Enlisted in 1943 as a Pfc. in the Army, went to Europe as a machine gunner in M-Company, 242nd IR, 42nd ID, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and also got a field commision to 2nd Lt! The 42nd ID fought against the germans in "Operation Northwind" a last stand up of the Waffen-SS in the last days of the Battle of the Bulge, listing this operation to the whole Battle of the Bulge too. 

Around 25.000 men got field promoted to a rank of officer in WW2. E.g. Carwood Lipton of E-Company. 

This helmet bears the rank of Pfc. and a Lt. Bar. So how are the chances? For me, chances are not to high, but those matches can't be a coincidence!

 

Having all this informations together I'm now very certain that this helmet belonged to Richard J. Tallman, who after the war went to West Point, graduating there as a 1st Lt., went to Korea and later got KIA in Vietnam as a Brigade Commander. 

 

RIP Richard J. Tallman.

 

Yours 

Blueprint 

 

 

[ArchangelDM]

52 minutes ago, Blueprint said:

Hello all!

 

After taking a new step in research of the owner, I can tell you all that I did find the owner of this helmet!

Assume that this helmet belonged to a member of the  42nd ID, because of the specifications and the above given pictures of soldiers with this helmet in use in the 42nd ID I looked for the rosters of the 42nd ID and I came upon them.

 

Digging through the rosters of every regiment of the division and having the list beside me of all "T7399" laundry number owners I had a match within the 242nd IR in M-Company.

 

Richard J. Tallman, born 1925 in Honesdale, PA.

 

Richard got enlisted in 1943, the same year as NARA states the enlistment of Tallman "T7399". NARA also states that Tallman "T7399" was born 1925 in PA and enlisted in Wilkes Barres, PA.

Wilkes Barres is 48 miles away from Honesdale, the birthplace of Richard J. Tallman.

 

Then I googled Richard J. Tallman and couldn't believe my eyes. R.J. Tallman was KIA as a Brigade General in Vietnam. 

First I thought, no it can't be him! 

But scrolling through some articles about him I gained these informations:

 

He was born 1925 in Honesdale, PA. Enlisted in 1943 as a Pfc. in the Army, went to Europe as a machine gunner in M-Company, 242nd IR, 42nd ID, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and also got a field commision to 2nd Lt! The 42nd ID fought against the germans in "Operation Northwind" a last stand up of the Waffen-SS in the last days of the Battle of the Bulge, listing this operation to the whole Battle of the Bulge too. 

Around 25.000 men got field promoted to a rank of officer in WW2. E.g. Carwood Lipton of E-Company. 

This helmet bears the rank of Pfc. and a Lt. Bar. So how are the chances? For me, chances are not to high, but those matches can't be a coincidence!

 

Having all this informations together I'm now very certain that this helmet belonged to Richard J. Tallman, who after the war went to West Point, graduating there as a 1st Lt., went to Korea and later got KIA in Vietnam as a Brigade Commander. 

 

RIP Richard J. Tallman.

 

Yours 

Blueprint 

 

 

Congrats Hannes, 

your hard work and diligence has paid off and I believe you have found your man ! 
 

I'm very happy for you brother - this is what collecting Militaria  is all about 

 

- Dean 

[shadawg]

hah, i knew it. beautiful work tracking the man down

 

[Gtilk8455]

Simply wow, absolutely spectacular, both the helmet and story. A top notch helmet in any collection 

[Blueprint]

6 hours ago, shadawg said:

hah, i knew it. beautiful work tracking the man down

 

 

Shadawg, did you also at one time loooked for him or how does it come? 

 

Thank you all! It really is now the pinnacle of my collection. It couldn't get better!

 

Blueprint 

[Blueprint]

Here are pictures from him in Vietnam, and also his Vietnam Wall inscription. 

 

RIP

[shadawg]

8 hours ago, Blueprint said:

 

Shadawg, did you also at one time loooked for him or how does it come? 

 

Thank you all! It really is now the pinnacle of my collection. It couldn't get better!

 

Blueprint 

nah, i was just talking with you on FB about it in the helmet group. i'm david. i had the strong hunch it was 42nd, and had shared the pic

[Blueprint]

7 minutes ago, shadawg said:

nah, i was just talking with you on FB about it in the helmet group. i'm david. i had the strong hunch it was 42nd, and had shared the pic

Ahh David it’s you! Could’ve recognized it by your picture 

 

Your assumptions we’re definitely right and thanks for that input!! 

[dmar836]

Nice! Any story of how this helmet came to the seller in this condition?

Dave

[USMC-RECON0321]

Excellent research and love the helmet.  Thanks for sharing. 

 

Troy

[daniel griffin]

I purchased the helmet from a general line antique dealer here in Central Pennsylvania, he got it at at estate sale but didn't think to ask about the family history.

[Blueprint]

Thanks Daniel for your quick reply! 
 

So assuming by that the family must’ve sold it off. I guess they kept it for years and after his wife died in 2018 they might sold it because of that. 

[pacreamer]

Hey Blueprint, what a helmet! Killer!

Where did you get that helmet stand?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[patches]

Tallman, he is a recipient of the 3rd Award Combat Infantryman Badge.

 

See topic link below starting at Post # 351

 

 

 

[Blueprint]

5 hours ago, pacreamer said:

Hey Blueprint, what a helmet! Killer!

Where did you get that helmet stand?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

PM send 

 

3 hours ago, patches said:

Tallman, he is a recipient of the 3rd Award Combat Infantryman Badge.

 

See topic link below starting at Post # 351

 

 

 

Thanks for that information on the thread! How small the world is, I got his helmet back which he had here in Germany and was stationed at Bad Kreuznach, which is near Wiesbaden, were I live. 

[GITom1944]

Great helmet! The net is extremely rare. Cool to see one on an original 42nd pot.

 

Tom

[P-59A]

So, someone do me a favor and tell me about that net. It's not US made as the M-44 is the only US made helmet net in WW2.  For all the world it looks like a field modified Japanese net. Were did this come from?

[ArchangelDM]

21 minutes ago, P-59A said:

So, someone do me a favor and tell me about that net. It's not US made as the M-44 is the only US made helmet net in WW2.  For all the world it looks like a field modified Japanese net. Were did this come from?

Japan 

[P-59A]

1 minute ago, ArchangelDM said:

Japan 

Good Grief...ok, that's what it looks like.

[Blueprint]

I‘m curious too! The 42nd ID and 442nd IR had these nets on even in training back in the States. 
 

They look like Japanese nets but they miss the parallel running double strings near the dome. 
 

 

[P-59A]

1 minute ago, Blueprint said:

I‘m curious too! The 42nd ID and 442nd IR had these nets on even in training back in the States. 
 

They look like Japanese nets but they miss the parallel running double strings near the dome. 
 

 

I don't get that. The US only made the M-44 helmet net. Everything else is British, captured or netting from this or that.  Those nets sure look like Japanese. Someone show me those nets state side.

[Blueprint]

I doubt that they used British nets in the states and also that these were captured nets. 
It must be some kind of unofficial net or I’m missing something. 
 

Take a look at post #38. These pictures show members of the 442nd IR in Training with this net. 
 

And here’s a picture of the 242nd IR somewhere in Training or near their camp at Marseille. 
 

 

[P-59A]

Ok, I see what it is. It's the 2 inch cargo net. The wire hooks at the bottom secure it to the lid then a string is pulled up tight at the top and the xtra is cut away. The knots are the same knots as on the net on my helmet.  It's not Japanese, their net is thicker. Its just a modification that worked.