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Why no white painted NCO horizontal bars VS officers verticle bars helmets


6th.MG.BN
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Why is it you see more WWII helmets with white officers vertical "follow me" bars painted on the back than you see of the NCO horizontal ones?

I'm guessing since that practice of painting the helmets was early-mid war, the nco's might have been promoted to officers?

It just seems that the officers version is all you see anymore.

Ken

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Interesting question... Ive got a couple guesses.

The ratio of officers to NCO's is small so..... Im thinking, being ofiicers, they had more oportunity to

take their gear home? Not sure if officers had to pay for thier gear like they do their clothes?

Or maybe there are just more fakes out there?

My 2cents.

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They're still out there, as with most painted helmets originals are just not super common. I know Steve Klima sold a one on the m1 helmet depot not all that long ago and I've got an overpainted helmet with a NCO bar coming through the paint that I picked up about a year ago.

 

Could also be that the Follow Me stripes are popular due to movies like Saving Private Ryan so you see more people trying to buy or sell (or fake) them than helmets with NCO bars.

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They're still out there, as with most painted helmets originals are just not super common. I know Steve Klima sold a one on the m1 helmet depot not all that long ago and I've got an overpainted helmet with a NCO bar coming through the paint that I picked up about a year ago.

 

Could also be that the Follow Me stripes are popular due to movies like Saving Private Ryan so you see more people trying to buy or sell (or fake) them than helmets with NCO bars.

I think your right in that the fakers add more officer ones to the ranks.

Ken

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Here's one that is named inside and has a horizontal bar in back. I wonder if an officer bar was removed, could be a story there

 

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

 

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nco is smarter than an officer

who would want to put some type of marking on your helmet that says i am leading men

just my thoughts

 

 

my neighbor where i grew up was an SS german sniper, he would say why did US officers put a target on their helmet for me to shoot at for target practice

very sad, but true

 

semper fi

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airborneguy44

My .02 is no matter what officer rank you are, you still have the vertical bar. So if you started as a 2nd Lt. and ended as let say a major, still a white vertical bar. However, field promotions were so common, Im guessing soldiers didnt have the time/care enough to mark their helmets. You have the stripes and members in your company know youre an NCO, so no need to paint a bar on your helmet. Probably not a lot of white paint in the combat areas anyways

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And a sad fact, faked officer helmets sell better and for more $$$ than a faked NCO helmet.

 

Let's be honest, while I do see a lot of officer marked M-1's, I see very few "legit" officer marked M-1's.

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And a sad fact, faked officer helmets sell better and for more $$$ than a faked NCO helmet.

 

Let's be honest, while I do see a lot of officer marked M-1's, I see very few "legit" officer marked M-1's.

True.

Setting up at a lot of the shows in the 90's-mid 2000's, I rarely saw any legit officer's or nco marked helmets.

Now you can view new ones daily.

Ken

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This is only the 2nd one Ive ever owned in over 23 years of collecting. I sadly sold my first and regretted it ever since. This one came from Steve at M1 Helmet Depot.

 

post-1878-0-42109600-1570025137_thumb.jpeg

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Here is my over painted one I mentioned earlier int his thread. Not the nicest example but I was able to get a good deal on it.
post-169952-0-73207500-1544305526.jpg

 

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Heres my fixed bail McCord with a NCO stripe on the back. Note the line of original paint near the rim of the helmet. It looks like whoever repainted it did so with the chinstrap still wrapped round the back.

post-192001-0-82532000-1570036437.jpeg

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Local 3rd ID veterans helmet.

 

Im not sure its a NCO bar on the front but the residue is from medical tape.I have his uniform and discharge.He was wounded twice in Italy and his rank was private.

 

post-342-0-91399200-1570067436_thumb.jpg

 

post-342-0-61895200-1570067459_thumb.jpg

 

post-342-0-95579600-1570067471_thumb.jpg

 

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Local 3rd ID veterans helmet.

 

Im not sure its a NCO bar on the front but the residue is from medical tape.I have his uniform and discharge.He was wounded twice in Italy and his rank was private.

 

attachicon.gif!ab1.jpg

 

attachicon.gif!ab3.jpg

 

attachicon.gif!ab2.jpg

Interesting 3rd ID lid with tape on front. Whats the yellow marking on the back? looks like a backwards. seven?

Ken

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Overpainted NCO marking checking in

Makes sense they would paint over the horizontal marking as the war progressed.

Ken

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