M1917 Heat Stamps.....

[ffuries]

I've been compiling a list of all the Heat Stamp numbers I can find for the M1917 helmet. So far this is what I've been able to find. I've read of a possible W second letter unknown, and a ZL and ZM, but I've yet to see an example of those three. I also don't know of there are additional Z ones. Every so often I get bored and hit the auction sites, various militaria sites to see if I can find more.

 

If anyone has any examples not listed I'd be apprentice if you would let me know, or an example of the three possible ones listed. 

 

Known Heat-Stamp Markings of WWI American M1917 Helmets:
(This list is based on what I have actually seen, more heat stamps might be out there)

UC
W? ?
XH
YJ
ZA
ZB
ZC
ZD
ZE
ZF
ZG
ZH
ZJ
ZL ?
ZM ?
ZN

[USMC8287]

Found your post. Great information. All of these heat stamps are from WWI USMC regimental lids that are in my collection centered around the battle of Belleau Wood. Next objective is to find out what manufactures these are associated with these. 

 

1. FS
2. XHX
3. XHH
4. XC
5. HV
6. BS

 

Thank you,

 

Kevin 
 

[aef1917]

FS, HV and BS are all British Mk. I markings.  XC is almost certainly ZC.

 

Lists of the British markings are easily found on the internet, but I'm not 100% convinced that they're entirely accurate.

[ffuries]

Updated list 

 

UC
WA
XH (XHE, XHF, XHM, XHQ) XHH & XHX
YJ
ZA
ZB
ZC
ZD
ZE
ZF
ZG
ZH
ZJ
ZL ?
ZM ?
ZN

Still trying to confirm the ZL and ZM coded ones. All I can find so far is someone mentioning they have one or seen one. But I haven't seen photos of the code.

Still researching the following lot codes, they are supposedly markings for early experimental/tests helmets by the Crosby Company, with no coding after the 4 letter code.

KCco
NCco
OCco

[aef1917]

Since the first letter is the steel supplier and the second one the company that pressed the helmet, it probably makes sense to separate them.

 

U - B, C, maybe J

W - A

X - H

Y - J

Z - A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, M, N

 

I was not used and K was assigned but not used.  I have one marked with an L that does not have a steel supplier code.

 

H helmets using X steel and the CCo helmets used letter codes rather than lot numbers.

 

[ffuries]

8 minutes ago, aef1917 said:

Since the first letter is the steel supplier and the second one the company that pressed the helmet, it probably makes sense to separate them.

 

U - B, C, maybe J

W - A

X - H

Y - J

Z - A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, M, N

 

I was not used and K was assigned but not used.  I have one marked with an L that does not have a steel supplier code.

 

H helmets using X steel and the CCo helmets used letter codes rather than lot numbers.

 

 

Probably would work better like that. Started the list around 11 years or so ago, and would just plug them in as I found a new code.

 

Hard part has been finding examples with clear pictures of the markings. I find where someone states I've seen or I have a such-and-such marked example with no picture to back it up. 

[aef1917]

UB, L and ZM.

 

[RITtiger]

Posted on a separate thread is a ZD helmet I just got that has the blue arrowhead of the 36th Infantry Division.

 

 

[Fiziwater]

For posterity, here’s an example I have of a pretty legible ZC. It would be nice if these codes were eventually decoded.

[Fiziwater]

I was able to find on an .eu forum that this helmet was made by Columbian Enameling and Stamping Company, of Terre Haute, Indiana, and produced 268,850. Don’t know the dates of the production run, though.

[aef1917]

C is not Columbian.  That's a piece of errant speculation that has spread far and wide over the internet.

[Fiziwater]

I saw further information claiming that. Back to square one.

[aef1917]

There's some good information here, including the positively identified markings:

 

m1917 codes