WW2 USN BLUE SCHLUETER

[Paddyd00]

Hi Guys - I was doing my end of year in other section and thought I would post this favorite one from this year.  I am a German Helmet collector that veered strongly into collecting Kriegsmarine helmets.  As I have an equal interest in American M1s I also veered into the USN lids.  I dont know know how it happened.  I just think they are great as are many of the men of the past that wore these were.  Here's a Schlueter Swivel Loop front seem.  Markings unknown ...no provenance or info with this one other than bought at a garage sale in Arizona.  A similar helmet sold recently with different numbers but same size and font.  The seller said it was from an LST but how he arrived at that conclusion is a question mark to me.  I'm more than happy just to wonder about it.  Thanks for looking

Zach

[Paddyd00]

+ Liner is a Westinghouse and the straps with a flat steel steel buckle and J hook

Z

[topdcnut]

Not real well versed on this but would 8th Div indicate a larger platform like a Cruiser, Battleship or Carrier?

[644td]

I’ve enjoyed this helmet and the background is top notch. 

[ArchangelDM]

Really great helmet and a beautiful back drop to display it 

 

Enjoy it and glad you are getting into M1 helmets - the water is just as deep and treacherous as the German side of collecting now unfortunately but their are some really great collectors here who will help at every turn should you need it, me included. 
Happy collecting brother and good luck on your hunt in 2021 

- Dean 

[shadawg]

BATTLESHIP DIVISION EIGHT  PAC Fleet 1May1945

ComBatDiv 8R. Adm. J. F. Shafroth, Jr. (72)

BB 59 MASSACHUSETTS (F)Capt. J. R. Redman (704)

BB 58 INDIANACapt. F. T. Old (809)

BB 60 ALABAMACapt. W. B. Goggins (741)

VO-8 Obsron 8 (6 VOS)

 

im thinkin this may have some correlation, great helmet and photos there

[aef1917]

Ships could also be organized around Divisions.

 

[Paddyd00]

Wow guys. Great thoughts and comments. Thanks for checking it out! After some reading early on I still came away a little unsure as to what the Division was referring. But these additional ideas and connections are very helpful. 

 

Zach 

[Paddyd00]

2 hours ago, ArchangelDM said:

Really great helmet and a beautiful back drop to display it 

 

Enjoy it and glad you are getting into M1 helmets - the water is just as deep and treacherous as the German side of collecting now unfortunately but their are some really great collectors here who will help at every turn should you need it, me included. 
Happy collecting brother and good luck on your hunt in 202Dean 

Thank you brother! The support is super appreciated man. I have buried my nose in books and or forum posts for a year. The same as I did w German helmets. If I come away from the German side (with many things really ) but with one thing. I’ll save my healthy dose of paranoia and vigilance when analyzing a helmet :). It seems the counterfeiting has been going on with these for a long time as well as I have read posts past. A real shame about our hobby. But I never knew it any other way so just will keep plugging along. When there’s money to be had by someone 🤷‍♂️  unfortunately we know what happens. Thanks again for your comments. 
Z

[shadawg]

2 hours ago, aef1917 said:

Ships could also be organized around Divisions.

 

gunnery would make sense. our gun positions were either a 2 or three digit number depending on caliber and position. for instance, my gun position was on the forecastle manning an m240B port side. so 242. first two numbers shorthand for 240, third digit is position. even numbers on port, so second gun mount. im thinking 402 could be the number 2, 40mm battery, port side

[Paddyd00]

1 hour ago, shadawg said:

gunnery would make sense. our gun positions were either a 2 or three digit number depending on caliber and position. for instance, my gun position was on the forecastle manning an m240B port side. so 242. first two numbers shorthand for 240, third digit is position. even numbers on port, so second gun mount. im thinking 402 could be the number 2, 40mm battery, port side

Thanks Shadawg! I didn’t realize the Navy would be so specific. So this is interesting to me. So you aren’t thinking - Ship Number “402” > and then “8th Div” for a generic marking for the gunnery department going by above chart? Very cool man. Appreciate you sharing your experience. Did they mark helmets like this accordingly during your service timeframe or that wasn’t really a thing.

 

Z

[shadawg]

7 minutes ago, Paddyd00 said:

Thanks Shadawg! I didn’t realize the Navy would be so specific. So this is interesting to me. So you aren’t thinking - Ship Number “402” > and then “8th Div” for a generic marking for the gunnery department going by above chart? Very cool man. Appreciate you sharing your experience. Did they mark helmets like this accordingly during your service timeframe or that wasn’t really a thing.

 

Z

youll see different markings on all sorts of helmets in the navy, we get kinda bored sometimes. i used this one while deployed to the south pac/indian ocean. a lot of time standing behind a gun going through the straights there. the navy is pretty specific with numbering and letters for positions. some ships are pretty big, so it's kinda our road map. eventually, ya just know where everything is given time

[shadawg]

6 minutes ago, shadawg said:

youll see different markings on all sorts of helmets in the navy, we get kinda bored sometimes. i used this one while deployed to the south pac/indian ocean. a lot of time standing behind a gun going through the straights there. the navy is pretty specific with numbering and letters for positions. some ships are pretty big, so it's kinda our road map. eventually, ya just know where everything is given time

hers the pasgt i used before we got the lwmch's. it had been marked like this years before i got to my first boat. wouldve liked to have known the story behind it

[Paddyd00]

1 hour ago, shadawg said:

hers the pasgt i used before we got the lwmch's. it had been marked like this years before i got to my first boat. wouldve liked to have known the story behind it

Those are awesome lids brother. Provenance doesn’t get much better. Haha. Great and the “242” you weren’t lying. Could have been a tradition or method started then amd continuing into the time you were serving. So great man. Thanks for sharing these!