501st PIR steel shell

[ArchangelDM]

No chin straps, burnt or heavily rusted with extremely rare markings. 

Looks to have been heated up at some point with a blow torch or been in a fire. 
 

🚩 

[Big Bear]

On 8/25/2022 at 1:12 AM, Boston1944 said:

Thank you for your comments thus far. I have to say that I don't necessarily agree with the comments regarding the swivel bales however. There are a number of provenanced bastogne-period helmets in collections on both sides of the Atlantic with swivel bales. This particular helmet was never claimed to have come from Normandy and I have always considered it to be a late war item. As far as the painted decal goes, it is perhaps the fault of the quality of the images that the amount of OD remaining looks so poor. There is significant levels of OD under the decal and around the more protected area just above the rim, probably typical of a shell that has spent many years turned up the 'wrong' way. 

BTW. The well provenanced 506th PIR shell in the collection also has swivel bales!

The ultimate proof that seems to allude collectors is a clear photo of a period photographed PIR helmet in theater showing a swivel bail. Do you have such a photograph you would like to share? 

[Big Bear]

17 minutes ago, Big Bear said:

The ultimate proof that seems to allude collectors is a clear photo of a period photographed PIR helmet in theater showing a swivel bail. Do you have such a photograph you would like to share? 

I just looked back on page one and saw a photo that sure looks to be period. I stand down on my last comment.