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Bought a few helmets this weekend, not sure what I have.


WWIIinterviews
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WWIIinterviews

I finally found my first 'good' in the 'wild' items I hear others talk about. I went there looking at model planes and found these. I do not really know helmets, although I have been looking for WWII M1's, but I found these and they were just going to be tossed out. I would appreciate some insight as to what I have here. Thanks!

 

I believe the first one may be a front seam m1. I wasn't sure if any of the liners to the other helmets may be for the m1.

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Very nice, instant collection.They are all M1s, you've got a range from WWII until the 1980s.

 

post #1 Swivel Loop, Front Seam, Stainless Steel rim, OD#3 chinstraps, Original WWII cork finish. Made between November 1943 and October 1944.

 

post #2 Helmet shell is made between 1955 and 1976, too narrow it down further would need to see a picture of the lot number stamped inside the front near the rim. The camouflage cover is in the ERDL pattern, made from 1969 until at least 1978? It is possible to date further by the Project Instrument Identifier (PII) which is a number stamped on one of the flaps. The elastic camouflage band with factory applied glow in the dark "cat eyes" was first made in 1981. The chinstraps were made from 1973 until 1988. The helmet liner is the type with a removable suspension, which was made from 1972 until 1988, it is possible to narrow the date down further with the PIIs which are stamped on the helmet shell, suspension, and sweatband. I am not familiar with the Visor so I can't be any help with that.

 

post #3 Helmet shell is made between 1955 and 1976, again need a lot number to narrow further. Cover is in Mitchell pattern camouflage, this version with the high arches for the chinstraps was made from 1969-1977. Black chinstrap clips were made from 1957 until 1973, with a close up of them it would be possible to tell if they were made before or after 1966. I can't see the camouflage band well enough to say but if it has factory sewn reflective squares "cat eyes" on the back it is post 1981, if not it is pre. The liner was made 1964-1972, again should be PIIs printed on it that can be used to narrow it down. It has two mitchell pattern poncho straps for the USMC mitchell pattern shelter half, made from 1953-1970s?. The sun wind and dust goggles have the sun lens in, those are the 1974-2000s? version, the earlier one had the strap pass through a slot in the side of the lens, all of the 1974 onwards ones are stamped 1974 on top regardless of manufacture date, that one is probably 1970s or 1980s, the later ones have black elastic straps.

 

post #4 and #5 Helmet shell is rear seam manganese rim sewn OD#7 chinstraps, which would either be made November 1944 - April 1945 or 1950?-1953, would need the lot number to tell. The liner was made 1964-1972, should be PIIs printed on it that can be used to narrow it down.

 

I can't tell if the helmet in post #6 is the outside of #4 or a different helmet, but it also looks like rear seam manganese rim sewn OD#7 chinstraps so it would be the same, looks like it might have been painted for Military Police.

 

liners in post #6 are both removable suspension, made from 1972 - 1988, need the PII on those to narrow the dates.

 

post #7 I'm not certain but it looks like a high dome rear seam manganese rim with cork finish, so November 1944 - April 1945.

post #8 is a Type II Parachutists Liner for the M1C helmet, made from 1964-1988? would need PIIs to date it further, but as a guess it looks 1970s as they and 1980s usually have greyish fabric, while 1960s ones have greener fabric, but 1980s liners are usually more orange than green.

 

post #9 Shell is made between 1955 and 1976, looks like it might have a stainless steel rim, which would made it RJ stampings produced, made from 1970-1976, cover is Woodland camoflage, made from 1981-1988.

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WWIIinterviews

Very nice helmets! The riot M1's are really cool.

 

 

Thank you! I need to do a little research on these, but very happy with what I have.

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WWIIinterviews

Very nice, instant collection.They are all M1s, you've got a range from WWII until the 1980s.

 

post #1 Swivel Loop, Front Seam, Stainless Steel rim, OD#3 chinstraps, Original WWII cork finish. Made between November 1943 and October 1944.

 

post #2 Helmet shell is made between 1955 and 1976, too narrow it down further would need to see a picture of the lot number stamped inside the front near the rim. The camouflage cover is in the ERDL pattern, made from 1969 until at least 1978? It is possible to date further by the Project Instrument Identifier (PII) which is a number stamped on one of the flaps. The elastic camouflage band with factory applied glow in the dark "cat eyes" was first made in 1981. The chinstraps were made from 1973 until 1988. The helmet liner is the type with a removable suspension, which was made from 1972 until 1988, it is possible to narrow the date down further with the PIIs which are stamped on the helmet shell, suspension, and sweatband. I am not familiar with the Visor so I can't be any help with that.

 

post #3 Helmet shell is made between 1955 and 1976, again need a lot number to narrow further. Cover is in Mitchell pattern camouflage, this version with the high arches for the chinstraps was made from 1969-1977. Black chinstrap clips were made from 1957 until 1973, with a close up of them it would be possible to tell if they were made before or after 1966. I can't see the camouflage band well enough to say but if it has factory sewn reflective squares "cat eyes" on the back it is post 1981, if not it is pre. The liner was made 1964-1972, again should be PIIs printed on it that can be used to narrow it down. It has two mitchell pattern poncho straps for the USMC mitchell pattern shelter half, made from 1953-1970s?. The sun wind and dust goggles have the sun lens in, those are the 1974-2000s? version, the earlier one had the strap pass through a slot in the side of the lens, all of the 1974 onwards ones are stamped 1974 on top regardless of manufacture date, that one is probably 1970s or 1980s, the later ones have black elastic straps.

 

post #4 and #5 Helmet shell is rear seam manganese rim sewn OD#7 chinstraps, which would either be made November 1944 - April 1945 or 1950?-1953, would need the lot number to tell. The liner was made 1964-1972, should be PIIs printed on it that can be used to narrow it down.

 

I can't tell if the helmet in post #6 is the outside of #4 or a different helmet, but it also looks like rear seam manganese rim sewn OD#7 chinstraps so it would be the same, looks like it might have been painted for Military Police.

 

liners in post #6 are both removable suspension, made from 1972 - 1988, need the PII on those to narrow the dates.

 

post #7 I'm not certain but it looks like a high dome rear seam manganese rim with cork finish, so November 1944 - April 1945.

 

post #8 is a Type II Parachutists Liner for the M1C helmet, made from 1964-1988? would need PIIs to date it further, but as a guess it looks 1970s as they and 1980s usually have greyish fabric, while 1960s ones have greener fabric, but 1980s liners are usually more orange than green.

 

post #9 Shell is made between 1955 and 1976, looks like it might have a stainless steel rim, which would made it RJ stampings produced, made from 1970-1976, cover is Woodland camoflage, made from 1981-1988.

 

 

Thank you very much Cap! I really appreciate all of the great information on each one. I don't have a lot of expertise on helmets so this is great. Now I just need to find one or two WWII liners. :)

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  • 2 years later...

I don't believe the face shield on helmet #2 is original to the helmet. I have the exact same type of face shield, and it fits far better on a PASGT helmet than any of my M1's, and was sold to me specifically for PASGT helmets. in the original picture you can see the hooks on the face shield are barely keeping it on the M1, whereas on my PASGT it's very tight and secure. Helmet #3 has a PASGT sweatband instead of a M1 sweatband.

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On 3/10/2020 at 6:28 PM, WWIIinterviews said:

 

 

Thank you! I need to do a little research on these, but very happy with what I have.

In Detroit you run across old riot helmets all the time.

 

They were used by the police.

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