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26th 'Yankee' Div helmet?


nolly211068
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nolly211068

Hello,

My name is Neil. I am a History teacher here in the UK. Saw your forum and thought I'd join. I do have a query that I hope someone can help me with: Picked up for free (yes free) an all-original US Army helmet, liner and netting cover. See pics below. Liner seems to have the insignia for the 26th 'Yankee' Division? Other side has another insignia - hoping someone can help identify it!  Just be interested to know if there is anyone out there who collects 'Yankee' Div items? If so, I'd be interested in talking to you!

Also picked up three of other helmets and a cap. They are:  a German M35, or M40 helmet (with original liner and double decal); an original M42 camo-painted Luftwaffe helmet with over paint of 'Cross of Lorraine' and 'FFI' on both sides - Free French/French Resistance? and a German alpine forces cap with edelweiss badge. Again, all these I was given by a pub landlord not far from my home. He said theta they all belonged to an old guy who did not want them any more. The pub landlord said he didn't want to be bothered with them so said I could have them! I could not believe my luck!! Can post pics of these if anyone is interested....

Would really appreciate knowing some more about the American helmet (and the German ones actually!), so would love to hear from anyone who thinks they can tell me more, or are interested in them. 

Do get in touch!

Cheers,

Neil

 

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nolly211068

Thank you!.

 

Just want to pick someone's expert brain on these items as I know very little about them and any potential value to anyone interested in them.

 

Nolly

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Burning Hazard

Hi Neil,

 

Your liner is WWII production but the insignia on both side is post-war applied, I believe 1950's national guard or training units of the 26th Infantry Division. Our forum member "patches" knows these better than I do. Your leather liner chinstrap may be post WWII as well if the buckle is black painted steel and "DOT" stamped.

 

Hard to tell from the photos but your helmet net looks WWII Canadian two tone Green/Brown.

 

Still not bad for a free helmet.

 

Pat

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nolly211068

Hello Pat,

 

Thank you for your info about my helmet. I have just checked the leather chin strap for the liner. It is black painted steel. When I opened it up, there was an 'anchor' stamp on the backside of the metal bit that releases the chin strap for adjustment etc. What does this 'anchor' symbol signify??

 

Also, is it possible for you to give me an idea on value / what this sort of thing goes for in the condition it is in etc? A ball park figure for what I might expect someone to pay for this helmet is fine as I don't have a clue!

 

Cheers.

 

Neil

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Might be me.. But after looking over at it. It seems like the helmet shell straps have been wrongly put on it as well?

 

Normally the longer strap should be on the wearers right side and the short strap on the left side?

 

Or am I on the wrong end here?

 

Edit: Just zoomed in on the buckles, appears to be a late war pattern as well.. The T1 clasps if I remember correctly?

 

Looking at the helmet loops, it appears to be a fixed loop helmet. So possibly the chin straps have been re-attached at one time in its life?

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It is as Burning Hazard stated, a WWII made Liner worn in  late 40s-1950s worn liner,   though a decaled liner like this it could of been worn thorough the 60s. your liner however, more like 50s really, cause of the L 181 written in it,. WWII Liners continued to be issued out from supply and worn throughout the 50s and 60s.

 

The unit is the 181st Infantry, 26th Infantry Division Massachusetts National Guard. In WWII the 181st Infantry was originally in the 26th Division but was relieved from the division in January 1942, and became a Separate Infantry Regiment, and would be assigned coastal defense duties with the Eastern Defense Command at various locations in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. The regiment is inactivated at Ft Dix New Jersey in February 1944, and it's people used  as individual replacements for the Front in Italy and the Pacific. After the war it's reactivated and once again assigned to the 26th Division, 1946-47 and that's where your liner comes in.

 

 

The L 181 probably stands for L Company, and that would mean t was worn prior to 1958-59, at that time the Army reorganizes itself to two new concepts, the Combat Arms Regimental System or CARS, that does away with the Regimental structure and reorganizes on the Battle Group structure, and the PENTOMIC structure with totally restructures the combat division. Focusing strictly on the Infantry, the new CARS structure does away with the Three Battalion Regimantal structure with the Regimental HQ Company and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions with the HQ, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M Companies and just makes individual three Rifle Company and support Company units out of the Parent Regiment, a Battle Group and adds Battle Groups as needed.

 

With the 181st Infantry like all the rest of the Infantry in both the Regular Army and the Reserve Components IE the Army Reserve and the National Guard. No longer have a Love Company no more, only Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies, and is now titled the 1st Battle Group 181st Infantry. thus the pre 1959 date.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A few basics on M1 helmets for you Neil. The shell is generally described in 2 terms, by the location of the seam on the rim (FS for Front Seam, RS for Rear Seam). The seam moved from front to rear during production in WW2 so FS shells are earlier (1941-43). The second describes the bales/bails/loops that the chinstraps are sewn to, either non-moving fixed bail (FB) or swivel bail (SB), so a FS/FB is an early Front Seam/Fixed Bail. Hope that helps! 

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The Rooster

Ive got a liner just like it.. Only the Yankee div sticker is rubbed off on one side. The outline is there.

But the sticker on the other side is all there.

 

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nolly211068

Cheers for the reply and pic. Lovely insignia on your liner! I can now see what mine would once have looked like on this side!

Does the 'trumpet' symbol have a meaning?

Thanks.

Neil

 

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The Rooster

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/181st_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

 

The 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment currently organized in the United States Army[citation needed]. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The regiment traces its history to 13 December 1636, when it was one of four colonial regiments of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts.

 

I believe that is a powder horn and not a trumpet.....

 

NIce helmet by the way !!!

 

 

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

I swear I replied earlier but I guess not, the anchor is the maker's mark of the company North & Judd

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