Possible Pearl Harbor USMC 1917A1

[jfairclo]

Hello, this is my first post in years but I thought this latest purchase might interest some of you. It is a 1917A1 converted from what looks like a WWI 1917. On the front there is a hole where there was possibly a USMC EGA emblem at one point? The paint is very flaky and it looks like it is a second coat. Also, does anyone know why there are multiple holes punched in the liner?

 

Stenciled in multiple places on the liner is the name P.W Borowski. With a little research I found a Peter W. Borowski. He was a Marine and as of October 1941 was stationed in Pearl Harbor assigned to the “Five Inch Artillery Group, Third Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force.”  It’s impossible to confirm 100% but it is possible this helmet was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

 

Jacob 

[Big Iron]

Looks like I found the winner 😉

 

I thought it was E not P. How fragile is the paint layer? It looked to be pretty delicate, which makes displaying it tenuous. 

 

The hole reminds me of the ones you'd see in the M1s to "decommission" them. I don't see who else could have owned it besides him.

[jfairclo]

28 minutes ago, Big Iron said:

Looks like I found the winner 😉

 

I thought it was E not P. How fragile is the paint layer? It looked to be pretty delicate, which makes displaying it tenuous. 

 

The hole reminds me of the ones you'd see in the M1s to "decommission" them. I don't see who else could have owned it besides him.

Haha, nice to meet a fellow bidder. I was also a little iffy on the initials. The pictures were not great. The paint is definitely fragile, especially around the area with existing paint loss. It’s not too fragile to where it’s just falling off though. 
 

Also, good observation on the holes, that sounds like it .

 

On another note, it seems like the screw holding in the liner is backwards. The “screw head” portion is supposed to be on the inside I thought. At least it is on my other 1917a1’s.  It looks like the liner and shell have been together a long time. They are almost fused together with corrosion. 

 

 

[atb]

I'm pretty sure those small holes on the adjoining ends of the liner are for a leather lace used to tighten up the liner for size adjustment. It also secured the ends together.

[Big Iron]

On mine (I have two, one is packed away and inaccessible since moving for the time being), the one I can put my hands on, there is a threaded "bead". Inside the dome pad is too tightly affixed to see underneath if it is a screw head or if it is something else.

 

I'm glad the paint is better attached to the helmet and isn't just falling off. It seemed kinda iffy from those photos. 

 

What's your plan for it? If you research the guy, you could put together a display representative of his service and career if you can follow him long enough. Did you find a candidate for him on Find a Grave?

[Rhscott]

“Also, does anyone know why there are multiple holes punched in the liner?”

 

size adjustment. Has nothing to do with being decommissioned  

[jfairclo]

Gotcha on the size adjustment. Makes a lot of sense. 
 

I don’t know what I’m going to do with it yet but I’ve been researching him. Found a bunch of muster rolls, an obituary and a draft card.