Service Command Painted M1?

[Burning Hazard]

I saw this from a 1945 footage reel taken somewhere in Germany.

 

That M1 appears to have a 7th or 8th service command painted on it. Curious.

 

Pat

[Burning Hazard]

Service Commands

[patches]

[easterneagle87]

are you sure that's not a MAJ or LTC with that LT?

[Ray42]

9 hours ago, easterneagle87 said:

are you sure that's not a MAJ or LTC with that LT?

I might agree with easterneagle, if you look at the bottom it looks like there is a line going down which would be the stem on the majors leaf. If that line wasn’t there however I would agree that it definitely looked like a service command helmet.

[Burning Hazard]

I was thinking the same about Major or Lt Colonel but the leaf is filled in, the one in the footage has a circular whole in the middle.

 

Pat

[easterneagle87]

Is that,  the hole, the grommet? 

[hink441]

7 hours ago, easterneagle87 said:

Is that,  the hole, the grommet? 

Looks like he is wearing the steel helmet. Not sure I have seen the grommet on the shell before. 

[easterneagle87]

You’re right, No grommets on the pot. Back to the drawing board.

[huntssurplus]

Looks like a majors rank to me. Wouldn't make sense for a service command painted pot to be in Germany in 1945. I'm guessing if anyone had painted the service command insignia on their helmet, and then went overseas to a new unit, they would have painted over the insignia on the helmet. That's just my opinion though. 

[GITom1944]

I believe he is an officer. He appears to have branch-of-service insignia on his left collar. The strap of his pistol shoulder holster (another "officer indicator") seems to be obscuring the rank insignia on his left epaulette. I sharpened the photo a bit. Looks like it's probably a LTC insignia on the helmet.

 

 

 

Tom

[gap]

I see a major rank with the eyelet in the center.

[conn]

i am not a computer person, but i see ;

 

i zoomed picture to 400 percent and can clearly see the rim of a helmet, helmet chin strap( hardware can be seen)  pulled up and around toward back of helmet, excess of left chinstrap going up on a 40 degree angle going toward back direction

it is a helmet, with 6 pointed shape and paint trail ( done on purpose to look like a flower ?)

 

 

my 2 cents

[conn]

forgot to ad, is it a railway group marking ?

[Ronnie]

15 hours ago, gap said:

I see a major rank with the eyelet in the center.

Pots don’t have eyelets.

Ronnie

[conn]

i do not think it is a eyelet, zoom photo, you can clearly see helmet rim, also, note that each individual shown seems to have some type of blacken background behind markings