ardennes44 Posted December 8, 2023 Share #1 Posted December 8, 2023 Hello folks I would like your opinion on it . this Is a very deep blue nearly black’ navy helmet who belong to lb bruton ( if someone have pictures or info on him will be very cool ) did you think it’s ETO or PTO color shell have early 1917 chinstrap . And it is a mc cord from 07/1942 i only found the grave of the owner with navy on it , but nothing in the Nara files … in advance thank you for your time and help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC_COLLECTOR Posted December 8, 2023 Share #2 Posted December 8, 2023 Looks good to me! I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardennes44 Posted December 8, 2023 Author Share #3 Posted December 8, 2023 Thanks for your reply ;-) if any info about that soldier please let me know ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddyd00 Posted January 5 Share #4 Posted January 5 Solid early Navy Lid and one that looks to have only 1 paint job (painted over the factory Original OD). Sometimes these are painted over multiple times. Nice original WWII helmet. No info on the man (you could get it researched) and the paint color was rather common throughout the whole USN worldwide so no way to narrow it down that way. Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardennes44 Posted January 5 Author Share #5 Posted January 5 3 hours ago, Paddyd00 said: Solid early Navy Lid and one that looks to have only 1 paint job (painted over the factory Original OD). Sometimes these are painted over multiple times. Nice original WWII helmet. No info on the man (you could get it researched) and the paint color was rather common throughout the whole USN worldwide so no way to narrow it down that way. Z Thanks paddyd00 but unfortunately, no info about mr Bruton , only is grave was found . i friend of mine make some research for me but all files about that soldier were unavailable like « protected files » Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #6 Posted January 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardennes44 Posted January 13 Author Share #7 Posted January 13 Wow thanks for the great help :-) any pictures of him available ?? I’am too exited now ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #8 Posted January 13 And his Dept of Vet Affiars Death File on ancestry lists "MM" as elistment branch from 8 March 1942 to 15 Aug 1945. Merhant Marine? See his emplyoyment listed on item 11 in the above document. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardennes44 Posted January 13 Author Share #9 Posted January 13 Born in 1918 (22 years on the document) document is dated from 1940/41 , the us ss s Charles jones was launched in 1941 . So I believe he stayed in the navy when he enlisted in March 1942 on his grave we can observe US NAVY maybe on another ship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #10 Posted January 13 He is referred to as L. B. "Barney" Bruton on this grave stone. I have found a Barney Bruton with the same DOB of 15 Dec 1918, who served in the Navy starting in 1937 and was on BB-44, the USS California in Sept and Oct of 1941. The Califonia was sunk at Pearl Harbor. Barney Bruton's draft card says "See L.B. Bruton" so it has to be the same guy I think. Might be a Pearl Harbor survivor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #11 Posted January 13 I'm getting lucky today. Wish I had this much luck on my own helmets. From ancestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #12 Posted January 13 Full name is Louis Barnet Bruton. Louis on left, Jessie Bruton on right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #13 Posted January 13 Maritime Merchant servcie in 43-44. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dentino Posted January 13 Share #14 Posted January 13 And THIS is one of the reasons that this forum is a PLACE to go on the web for US militaria of all sorts. Thanks on behalf of the OP for the awesome research to flesh this helmet out into the man that was issued it, JimD! Good thread to start the cold, snowy day here in N. Indiana! Oh, and ardennes44, that is a great Navy/MM helmet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardennes44 Posted January 13 Author Share #15 Posted January 13 Wow you make my day :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #16 Posted January 13 Maybe our man was a pre-war Navy volunteer who ran his enlistment down and in 1942 joined the Merchant Marine. Nice helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 13 Share #17 Posted January 13 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Liberty_ships_(A–F) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclegrumpy Posted January 13 Share #18 Posted January 13 Great sleuthing Jim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardennes44 Posted January 14 Author Share #19 Posted January 14 Hi again , the merchant marine got m1 helmets ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclegrumpy Posted January 14 Share #20 Posted January 14 Yes. However, there were far fewer crew members on MM ships, and fewer still that would have been above decks where they would have needed a helmet. I suspect this guy had one issued to him, because he was an officer that spent time on the bridge. There were also Navy personal (Armed Guards) assigned to MM ships that were fitted with deck guns. They had helmets. Your helmet is rare because you can attribute it to a Merchant Marine Officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 14 Share #21 Posted January 14 And you can look up the history of most of the ships listed in Post #13 to see where he was in the MM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted January 15 Share #22 Posted January 15 On 12/8/2023 at 3:03 AM, ardennes44 said: Hello folks I would like your opinion on it . this Is a very deep blue nearly black’ navy helmet who belong to lb bruton ( if someone have pictures or info on him will be very cool ) did you think it’s ETO or PTO color shell have early 1917 chinstrap . And it is a mc cord from 07/1942 i only found the grave of the owner with navy on it , but nothing in the Nara files … in advance thank you for your time and help Navy helmets did not have any specific color that they were painted. They got painted, onboard the ship, with whatever color was available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclegrumpy Posted January 15 Share #23 Posted January 15 1 hour ago, sigsaye said: Navy helmets did not have any specific color that they were painted. They got painted, onboard the ship, with whatever color was available. I'd add to sigsaye's excellent comment....."if" they got painted. In WW II, many helmets were worn on ships in their original factory green paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted January 15 Share #24 Posted January 15 2 hours ago, unclegrumpy said: I'd add to sigsaye's excellent comment....."if" they got painted. In WW II, many helmets were worn on ships in their original factory green paint. Yeah, I should have added that. They got painted when the original color, or previous coat of paint was rusting badly and the ships Bo’sun, told someone to paint them. Usually with whatever gray paint was closest to the door of the paint locker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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