WWII AMERICAN RED CROSS HELMET Charles L. Carruthers - Australia & Italy

[Sgt. Stubby]

Presenting WWI veteran Charles L. Carruthers’ WWII American Red Cross helmet.

Lyle was a rubber worker at the Akron, OH Goodyear Tire Plant for 52 years, and remained socially active in many clubs and organizations. On September 8th 1943, as Program Director of the Sydney Australia American Red Cross Service Club, he met First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

It’s been great fun collecting information about Lyle, and the public contributions he made throughout his life. The man is not perfect - but he is an energetic and caring American and I’m pleased to have discovered him.

 

 

[Sgt. Stubby]

Here is an early McCord M1 helmet with stainless front seam and fixed bales.

CHARLES L. CARRUTHERS and AM. RED CROSS are stenciled in black on one side.

The OD3 chinstraps are early short versions that can not be buckled behind the helmet.

Buckles are brass raised bar.

The heat stamp reads as 130A which makes the accepted manufacturing date about April 1942.

It’s paired with a Firestone high pressure liner mold #12.

 

 

[Sgt. Stubby]

Other than birth & census records, the earliest info I have on Lyle is a suprise party on his 19th birthday where they enjoyed music for entertainment. Lyle continued his musical career throughout his life.

At 20 Lyle enlisted for the last few months of WWI. Here’s his US Veterans Bureau Form 7202 showing the dates. It has a typewritten enlistment date of 8/6/18 and discharge 2/17/19. Handwritten below the enlistment is the date 6-1-43. I thought ARC volunteers were civilians. Did US Veterans Bureau keep track of ARC Volunteers?

Charles L. Carruthers’ WW1 Army Service Number is 3 372 666. Does his number record any of his WW2 volunteer service?

 

[Sgt. Stubby]

February, 1945.

After Lyle’s time as Red Cross Program Director in Sydney, Australia, he came home to help with the Salem Ohio Red Cross War Fund.

 

[Sgt. Stubby]

Italy 1946

Lyle continued his wartime service in Italy until May 1946, arriving in New York by ship on June 2.

 

[Brian Keith]

Great helmet and research! Thanks for posting it.

BKW

[Phineaus]

Other than birth & census records, the earliest info I have on Lyle is a suprise party on his 19th birthday where they enjoyed music for entertainment. Lyle continued his musical career throughout his life.

 

At 20 Lyle enlisted for the last few months of WWI. Heres his US Veterans Bureau Form 7202 showing the dates. It has a typewritten enlistment date of 8/6/18 and discharge 2/17/19. Handwritten below the enlistment is the date 6-1-43. I thought ARC volunteers were civilians. Did US Veterans Bureau keep track of ARC Volunteers?

Charles L. Carruthers WW1 Army Service Number is 3 372 666. Does his number record any of his WW2 volunteer service?

 

Great helmet and a hard one to find! ASN and Geneva convention numbers are entirely different. Your veterans WWII service would be recorded under his Geneva convention number at the International Red Cross. Unfortunately, these records are not readily researchable or obtainable except for family.