limestone Posted January 4, 2009 Share #1 Posted January 4, 2009 Hi all and best wishes for 2009 Let me show you my last 2008 acquisition. This helmet was found in june 1994 in a house of Cerisy la Foret (East of Saint Lô, and area ocupied by 2nd division during the battle of Hill 192) by my friend and forum member Gingerbread. The helmet showing batlefield damage was found along with a German paratrooper helmet and lots of stuff including two bags made from a US camo trouser (shown on USMF long time ago...) Well, after some cleaning my friend put some Rustol on the helmet (it's sad but you must understand that this was the most common product used by collectors at that time to preserve against rust. My problem today is to find a good solution to take of that Rustol...). This helmet had a trace of the 2nd division insignia and part of a stamped laundry number. Because my friend's collection is very big and his focus are mainly US paratroopers, FSSF and German paratrooper and submarine stuff, and because my friends moved a lot over the years, this helmet was stocked somewhere in his parents house, forgotten for years... Till 2008 when, while looking in some old boxes of stuff, Gingerbread finally found it back... And offered it to me last Dec 31st! A quite nice gift! NB: As if the insignia has been damaged by the post-war use of the helmet, it is evident that the indian head and white star have been scratched by the soldier for camouflage purpose. Well, yesterday I decided to clean it a little. The inside of the shell had not been "rustoled" and still showed reutilization by a farmer after it was found in the field (He made some concrete using the pot!!). here is the result of my first cleaning which reveals the complete laundry number stamp, but also, on the other side, the name of the soldier and four first diggits of his serial number (so I have the complete SN) Photos: The laundry number stamp: K-0531 Handwritten name and part of SN KNEE, F JOHN 3369?5?? And what I found in the 38th FABn roster of indian head soldiers KIA during WWII (History of the Second Infantry Division book) Plus, on AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION site: John F. Knee Private, U.S. Army Service # 33690531 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Entered the Service from: Pennsylvania Died: 1-Aug-44 Buried at: Plot E Row 13 Grave 42 Normandy American Cemetery Colleville-sur-Mer, France Awards: Purple Heart I finally found on Nara that John Knee was born in 1916 He was from Greensburg, PA He enlisted March 07 1943 (Allegheny County, PA) and was married... Next time I go to Normandy I will visit his grave in Colleville to pay him my respect. Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted January 4, 2009 Share #2 Posted January 4, 2009 Absolutely fantastic helmet and research Yannick! I wish my friends would get gifts like this to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baker Posted January 4, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 4, 2009 Yannick, The helmet is a great relic. Excellent detective work!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limestone Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks Jim and Bugme! Appreciate I must add that for hours yesterday, during the phases of cleaning and researches, I have been excited like a kid!! Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted January 4, 2009 Share #5 Posted January 4, 2009 Another great relic and research work. Thanks for sharing. Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasyRed1944 Posted January 4, 2009 Share #6 Posted January 4, 2009 Great helmet and superb find from your friend, Yannick! No doubt it will have a good home now... The rustol, is it oil ? or sprayed on ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted January 4, 2009 Share #7 Posted January 4, 2009 Awesome relic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king802 Posted January 4, 2009 Share #8 Posted January 4, 2009 what a great gift. Excellent helmet. Notice the small and high insignia. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limestone Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share #9 Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks friends It's a pleasure to share it here! The rustol, is it oil ? or sprayed on ? It is oil.... Curiously, when stocked all over those years, a mouse visited Gingerbread's collection and had the bad/good idea to die on the helmet ( ). When Gingerbread found the helmet, he also found a mumyfied mouse on it . It just looks that on the area where dead Mickey's mumy spent the last years, the Rustol there desappeared ... I just don't want to kill the family home cat here and put it on the helmet to see if it works again.... So if you have any better solution, it will be welcome Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
78th Collector Posted January 4, 2009 Share #10 Posted January 4, 2009 There you go again, Yannick. Your finds and research are amazing. Thanks for sharing with us and taking such great care of these items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Kelso Posted January 4, 2009 Share #11 Posted January 4, 2009 Thank you for the story of John F. Knee and sharing the photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theorywolf Posted January 4, 2009 Share #12 Posted January 4, 2009 Fantastic, historical helmet! Keep us posted on future digs in the Hedgerows of Normandy! Cheers, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-X Posted January 5, 2009 Share #13 Posted January 5, 2009 Fantastic research mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hill 84 Posted January 5, 2009 Share #14 Posted January 5, 2009 Congrat's Yannick! A nice relic into the proper hands. Again the (hi)story of one of our US heroes saved! Regards, Hill 84. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raddock Posted January 5, 2009 Share #15 Posted January 5, 2009 Nice to hear a success story with the ID. Still searching all the unit rosters i can find for mine. Great helmet!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake_E Posted January 5, 2009 Share #16 Posted January 5, 2009 Thats a stellar relic yannick, you really put in the hard yards tracking the fantastic info down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limestone Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share #17 Posted January 5, 2009 thanks for nice comments friends! For Mr-X: For info this helmet was found in the house where I got the WWII GI's AO eyeglasses you used in your article! For Mike : Coming soon, but this time a dug up relic helmet from Brest, Brittany... I just identified it Again thanks, Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battle For Brest Posted January 6, 2009 Share #18 Posted January 6, 2009 Hi Yannick, Superb helmet ! Beautiful Christmas gift ! And one more! Regards, Jeremy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiGilio Posted January 7, 2009 Share #19 Posted January 7, 2009 Wow. Great research on the helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbread Posted January 9, 2009 Share #20 Posted January 9, 2009 No Doubt, my gift is a good gift!!! Regards Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1ashooter Posted January 10, 2009 Share #21 Posted January 10, 2009 I'm not as impressed with the find as I am with the Man. God Bless you for visiting the grave of the warrior that wore the steel pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limestone Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share #22 Posted February 2, 2009 Hi! Well, I went to normandy yesterday for a quick battlefield tour with a friend and a visit to the American cemetery. I had some graves to visit and it was the best occasion to pay my respect to John F. Knee. Rest in Peace soldier Yannick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgawne Posted February 2, 2009 Share #23 Posted February 2, 2009 I wonder what would happen if you sent the story and the grave photo to the local paper of the guy's hometown. Would anyone remember him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted February 2, 2009 Share #24 Posted February 2, 2009 I wonder what would happen if you sent the story and the grave photo to the local paper of the guy's hometown. A good chance that suddenly lots of relatives would turn up claiming the helmet should be returned to the family, only to see it on Ebay fetching a ridiculous price a couple of months later...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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