ccmax Posted February 10, 2022 Share #1 Posted February 10, 2022 I recently came across a lot of fixed bail shells and many had had their loops modified (in Europe) to a C shape. Anyone seen anything like this? These particular helmets were used by the US Army and then passed to the French in WW2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burning Hazard Posted February 10, 2022 Share #2 Posted February 10, 2022 I saw the same modification on WW2 US fixed bail shells used by Spain after the war. I believe they are just crude repairs as none of them were consistent. Maybe also enlarged so that their buckles would fit through? Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccmax Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share #3 Posted February 10, 2022 Don't know how their chinstraps were, maybe they used press snaps instead of bar tacking. Thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elh1311 Posted February 11, 2022 Share #4 Posted February 11, 2022 Looks almost like the experimental M2 fix they did at Fort Benning, where they used mess kit rings to make a crude swivel bail in place of the D-bail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugme Posted February 12, 2022 Share #5 Posted February 12, 2022 On 2/10/2022 at 2:12 PM, ccmax said: Don't know how their chinstraps were, maybe they used press snaps instead of bar tacking. Thanks for the input. Very possible it was for the snaps Cesar but, could have also been done to give the chin straps a bit more flexibility to canter or angle forward. Just a thought. I also think many of these repairs/modifications have been misidentified as A/B. 😯 There, I went and did it, I just opened a can of worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOLO Posted February 12, 2022 Share #6 Posted February 12, 2022 I remember seeing a surplus BELGIAN M1 helmet using a US WW2 M1 shell with crude repairs like that at the antique fair , it had the Belgian flag decal and clip on chin straps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccmax Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share #7 Posted February 13, 2022 Yes. Many of the shells are early, are within the M2 range and have the dimples. With the crude repairs, covering the spot welds of the fixed bails, they can easily be mistaken for M2s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCC74 Posted February 13, 2022 Share #8 Posted February 13, 2022 I have also seen the fixed bales had a lot of field made repairs which often looked crude. I don't think this was intentional, just expedient. I have also seen ones where the weld went through the outside of the helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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