Need help with WW2 helmet

[CW4AFB]

The Virginia National Guard Historical Collection received a donation yesterday of a WW2 Uniform and helmet--there are a number of items I need to research further to document but thought I would start with the helmet---I know enough to recognize that it is a front seamed, fixed bail helmet but other than that puts me out of my depth--as you can see, the liner is very thin and has been painted silver.

 

as you can see from the first picture, the uniform came from a 1st ID guy with what appears to be a theater-made patch.

 

it will take a couple entries to load up all of the pictures.

 

Any insights will be greatly appreciated and help to tell the story of what we have here.

[CW4AFB]

and more views---

[CW4AFB]

Sorry for the dis-jointed way of showing these but the limit of 250 K meant I had to mix and match photos by size rather than logical sequence...

 

once again, any analysis will be helpful.

 

s/f

Al

[AustinO]

Al, The 1ID patch is an interwar type from the late 20s-30s (US made). The first Division museum has a lot of digitized records so if you need to piece together his service it should be pretty do-able.

[CW4AFB]

Al, The 1ID patch is an interwar type from the late 20s-30s (US made). The first Division museum has a lot of digitized records so if you need to piece together his service it should be pretty do-able.

Austin--thanks--that's great info to know....Inside a uniform pocket was the "walking around" pass from an east coast hospital and gave his name....there are a couple of other strange items that came with it so I'll be asking for insights on them also when I get time to take photos.

 

thanks again,

Al

[CW4AFB]

and here are two things that came with the helmet and uniform---I recognize the "Jeep" hat but not sure what to make of the goggles---not even sure they are US issue--any insights?

[CW4AFB]

and this unusual hat/cover/whatever ---the soldier sewed some fleece inside where the ears go so obviously he used it to keep his head warmer but what kind of chinstrap is this? --and the thing actually looks like something an aircrewman would wear---ideas?

 

still need some basic info on the helmet and liner as well....

s/f

Al

[manayunkman]

Looks like AN6530 goggles from the Army Air Force.

 

They are missing their rubber face pad.

 

The cloth helmet looks like a pilot training piece.

[Navybean]

and this unusual hat/cover/whatever ---the soldier sewed some fleece inside where the ears go so obviously he used it to keep his head warmer but what kind of chinstrap is this? --and the thing actually looks like something an aircrewman would wear---ideas?

 

still need some basic info on the helmet and liner as well....

s/f

Al

The cloth helmet is a A-8 flight Helmet AAC

[MattS]

You've pretty well identified the helmet, a front seam (although the actual seam was cut off in both photos), fixed bail with a repainted liner. Why is it silver? No idea. Looks like they've been together a long time though. Shell is 1942-44, a shot of the heat stamp in the inner frontal area of the shell will narrow the date.

[CW4AFB]

Manayunkman, Navybean, and Matt--thanks very much--you have provided great info ---

 

the stamp in the front of the helmet shell says " 65 B" or "65 8"......

 

Here's what I have learned since posting---the original owner was a field artilleryman, and is buried less than 6 miles from my house in the Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg.

 

I really like the modified flying helmet to protect against cold weather---wish I had thought of it back in my helmet-wearing days.

 

 

Once again gents, thanks very much---you've certainly proved my claim that the combined knowledge on this site is astounding.

s/f

Al

[MattS]

If it is indeed a 2 digit heat stamp like 65 B, it is very early production (before March 1942). Glad to help.

[Old Marine]

The helmet liner looks like the silver painted "Chrome Domes" worn by Marines Recruits in Boot Camp in the 60s and 70s. I am not an expert on aviation items but I had a few of those A-8 flight helmets and they all had that fleece over the ears. I think they were manufactured that way.

[CW4AFB]

Good point--I wore one of those chrome domes at PI in 1974 ---but this liner is really thin ---I'll try to get better pictures so you can see how thin it is.

 

s/f

Al

[M422A1]

I wore a chrome dome at P.I. in 1982...

[pararaftanr2]

The helmet liner looks like the silver painted "Chrome Domes" worn by Marines Recruits in Boot Camp in the 60s and 70s. I am not an expert on aviation items but I had a few of those A-8 flight helmets and they all had that fleece over the ears. I think they were manufactured that way.

The A-8 was considered a "summer weight" flight helmet and is of pre-WW2 origin, but continued in use into WW2. They did indeed come from the factory with the fleece ear pads sewn inside. The leather chin cup was also original to this model helmet and is often mistaken by collectors today as a "paratrooper" chin cup. The A-8 chin cup is rough leather inside, while the para chin cup is chamois lined.

 

The AN-6530 goggles shown with the jeep cap are a US item and they were produced in 1943, in this case, by American Optical. Your example is missing the chamois lined rubber eye cushion, which often deteriorates and detaches from the metal frame with age, or poor storage conditions. Pure speculation, but if your man was in the field artillery, he may have done some aerial artillery spotting, which would explain the aviation goggles and flight helmet.