WW2 Painted Helmet ID

[shadawg]

1 hour ago, TCSchultz said:

I was able to buy this helmet from my friend and the first thing I noticed that I had missed before is that Tex's nickname was on the shell as well.  Looking back at the first picture I took it was there but I didn't see it in the daylight but it's there for sure when lit up.  Here's a couple of pictures that show it better.  I'm thinking since his name is in the liner and on the shell it's likely that they were together onboard the ship but as to when the yellow paint was applied I have no idea if before or after he used it.  

kinda looks like a cattle brand there. Even potentially tjd instead of just jd

 

[aznation]

 

4 hours ago, shadawg said:

kinda looks like a cattle brand there. Even potentially tjd instead of just jd

 

There was a Thomas John Dowling, (CBM) Chief Boatswain's Mate, from 1944 that served aboard ship at the same time as Jesse C. Willis.  That would fit with your hypothesis of the initials being TJD instead of just JD.  

[TCSchultz]

Wow that's a great thought and it sure does look like a cattle brand.  I can see the TJD initials in it too and I'm wondering if he painted all the ship's helmets that way as a joke being as this was numbered as well.  Then Tex (Jesse) could have named his personal one as shown so that it was personalized.  Really good catch there and makes sense to me.  Now we only have to see if we can find another one just like it to confirm the theory!

[TCSchultz]

In further research I found that CBM (AA) Thomas John Dowling SN 131 81 45 was detached from the USS ATR-61 for temporary duty Ship Salvage and Fire Fighting on 16 Dec. 1944 the same day that WT 1/C Jesse Carl Willis was found guilty of being drunk on duty and reduced in rank to WT 2/C.  Willis was transferred off the ship on 21 Dec. 1944 ending up on another ship being the USS Dawn XI-186 having previously served on the USS Ariel AF-22 and then the USS Chase DE158 prior to the USS ATR-61.  He finished the war as a WT 2/C.  Dowling ended up on the USS Refuge AH-11 Hospital ship as a patient on 10 April 1945 rated as a CBM (T) CB (Seabees) and was transferred to a Navy Hospital.  

 

Further research finds that a Thomas John Dowling from MA who had served in WW1 and was recalled in August of 1943 served as a Hard Hat Deep Sea Diver in the CB.s in the South Pacific.  He died in 1981 living in NH where this helmet turned up at a local flea market.  I think that we've solved the mystery of the logo as it's his initials and he probably got the helmet when Willis was transferred off of the ship.  He was born in England as well and monograms like this are very popular in that country.  Great catch on it being a monogram of those three initials as it all makes sense now.  

[aznation]

5 hours ago, TCSchultz said:

In further research I found that CBM (AA) Thomas John Dowling SN 131 81 45 was detached from the USS ATR-61 for temporary duty Ship Salvage and Fire Fighting on 16 Dec. 1944 the same day that WT 1/C Jesse Carl Willis was found guilty of being drunk on duty and reduced in rank to WT 2/C.  Willis was transferred off the ship on 21 Dec. 1944 ending up on another ship being the USS Dawn XI-186 having previously served on the USS Ariel AF-22 and then the USS Chase DE158 prior to the USS ATR-61.  He finished the war as a WT 2/C.  Dowling ended up on the USS Refuge AH-11 Hospital ship as a patient on 10 April 1945 rated as a CBM (T) CB (Seabees) and was transferred to a Navy Hospital.  

 

Further research finds that a Thomas John Dowling from MA who had served in WW1 and was recalled in August of 1943 served as a Hard Hat Deep Sea Diver in the CB.s in the South Pacific.  He died in 1981 living in NH where this helmet turned up at a local flea market.  I think that we've solved the mystery of the logo as it's his initials and he probably got the helmet when Willis was transferred off of the ship.  He was born in England as well and monograms like this are very popular in that country.  Great catch on it being a monogram of those three initials as it all makes sense now.  

 

Yes, I think the mystery has been solved.  Great follow-up information on Dowling and Willis, and it definitely all makes sense.

[The Rooster]

Thats some darn good sleuthing Gang !!.

Congrats on a great helmet !!!

[shadawg]

17 hours ago, TCSchultz said:

In further research I found that CBM (AA) Thomas John Dowling SN 131 81 45 was detached from the USS ATR-61 for temporary duty Ship Salvage and Fire Fighting on 16 Dec. 1944 the same day that WT 1/C Jesse Carl Willis was found guilty of being drunk on duty and reduced in rank to WT 2/C.  Willis was transferred off the ship on 21 Dec. 1944 ending up on another ship being the USS Dawn XI-186 having previously served on the USS Ariel AF-22 and then the USS Chase DE158 prior to the USS ATR-61.  He finished the war as a WT 2/C.  Dowling ended up on the USS Refuge AH-11 Hospital ship as a patient on 10 April 1945 rated as a CBM (T) CB (Seabees) and was transferred to a Navy Hospital.  

 

Further research finds that a Thomas John Dowling from MA who had served in WW1 and was recalled in August of 1943 served as a Hard Hat Deep Sea Diver in the CB.s in the South Pacific.  He died in 1981 living in NH where this helmet turned up at a local flea market.  I think that we've solved the mystery of the logo as it's his initials and he probably got the helmet when Willis was transferred off of the ship.  He was born in England as well and monograms like this are very popular in that country.  Great catch on it being a monogram of those three initials as it all makes sense now.  

seems like a hit to me

[TCSchultz]

Thanks and all credit goes to Shadawg for for coming up with the monogram theory and to Aznation for ID'd Dowling on the muster rolls.  I had a feeling that it would lead back to here in NH as that's where the helmet turned up and it did!