71st Airborne Brigade Helmet

[elh1311]

Nice helmet!

[Nickman983]

13 hours ago, 6th.MG.BN said:

Here is another 71st. painted helmet to add to the tread. One side of the white/red square has eight cut marks, I'm guessing jumps? Remnants of tape across the front of the helmet were painted over and under U/V light TEXAS jumps out at you. Also looks like MAC?. Liner has two names on '71-'74 sweat band.

 

Interesting that it has green hardware/non-para chinstraps. Makes me wonder if it ever had M1C chinstraps. Either way, nice example, thanks for sharing!

[etomilitaria]

I have this one here in the UK. Would love to find another. I think these display really well.

[elh1311]

Definitely a cool helmet. 

[Nickman983]

Nice, don't see a ton of the circle tac markings. Any chance it's named?

[etomilitaria]

8 minutes ago, Nickman983 said:

Nice, don't see a ton of the circle tac markings. Any chance it's named?

Hi @Nickman983- unfortunately not. By the time it reached me it was pretty banged up. I had to put on the chinstraps and chincup, etc. It's been a nice little research project finding out about the 71st AIB.

[Nickman983]

Found this on IMA's site. Interestingly the tac marking looks to be a decal rather than paint and the shell is a FB Schlueter with infantry chinstraps. Liner is named to a Cpl. Robert Wilson and there appears to be a couple of newspaper matches for Cpl. Robert Wilson out of Texas around the time of the 71st but I don't have a newspapers subscription at the moment so I can't investigate further so see if it's a match/if there's any more info to be learned. Nonetheless interesting to see another one of these triangle tac marked helmets.

[elh1311]

11 hours ago, Nickman983 said:

Found this on IMA's site. Interestingly the tac marking looks to be a decal rather than paint and the shell is a FB Schlueter with infantry chinstraps. Liner is named to a Cpl. Robert Wilson and there appears to be a couple of newspaper matches for Cpl. Robert Wilson out of Texas around the time of the 71st but I don't have a newspapers subscription at the moment so I can't investigate further so see if it's a match/if there's any more info to be learned. Nonetheless interesting to see another one of these triangle tac marked helmets.

Fixed bale without paratrooper enhancements. Maybe a parade helmet?

[Nickman983]

6 hours ago, elh1311 said:

Fixed bale without paratrooper enhancements. Maybe a parade helmet?

It's possible, but I've got no idea. Not the first of these helmets to show up without airborne chinstraps but I don't have a great explanation as to why.

[patches]

One more find that was sold a ways back.

[etomilitaria]

Not sure this specific example with a blue square tac has been posted before. Has the name 'Tipton' on the headband. I just got it in. I will need to get better pictures in daylight. Nice to see these two together!