Good grief, I do love this place. I just spent another hour chasing down rabbit holes. Every time I post an inquiry or follow a response I end up popping from topic to topic to topic.   This morning wasn't TOO bad. Only lost an hour. Started by following the possible ID of a Hardee Hat pin and ended up in the records of Confederate soldiers who joined the Union Army.   Last week it was US Navy bullion epaulets and sleeve stars. If I keep this up my brain will run out of space 😝

If I ever correctly, there is a spot in the “spoils of war” section that is about a Chinese copy SKS? Or maybe just a regular one, anyways…   it has all the papers, provenance and everything. Maybe if you have the time you could go back and look for it and maybe try to contact the owner for use in your book. It’s really nice example. Maybe you already have it to. Anyways wish I could help more. Good luck on your book 👍

The What Is It forum offers the possibility this is a trimmed Hardee Hat side pin. It seems like a strong possibility but none of the photos I can find support the idea.   The shield has an odd "motto" TOTE (not sure about the E). There are 2 slits in the rays just above the wings. The top has a very clean cut. If it was trimmed it was done with great precision (see photo 2).  It was suggested that the pin was added to the back but it looks like what I've seen in photos of some of these documented pins.   Also please note the presence of what appears to be orange paint in the shield and rays. Perhaps it was red 100 years ago? None of the Hardee pins in photos appear to have been painted.   So, please take a look and tell me what you think.  

No  No idea about the cross but I dont believe its significant. The little short straps..... those are on M1C helmets... look at the picture. They snap into those  female snaps on the sides inside the liner. Your does not have the short straps. The steel is not an M1C paratroopers steel pot. The example pictured is from WW2 but M1C helmets no matter what era have the short straps to connect to the liner snaps.  

The knife fits properly, but the condition and lack of a makers mark (plus the asking $) broke the sale.   thanks for your comment.

Last call for submissions. I hope to wrap it up by the end of August. Thanks everyone!

Thank you 29navy. Alas same mistake it seems in the English book.  (there was a small chance that the mistake had only been made in the Dutch version as coincidentially the depicted German soldier is a Dutchman). Anyway, as mentioned before, this man was not killed by Bob Sales in 1944.

I don't believe M1 bayonets were dated, so if someone added one, maybe $0.00.

Thanks everyone for the replies! So I assume everything is correct for the era and the type of helmet. Of course it’s not possibile to determine where it has been used and if some part have been replaced and put together but I’m fine with that.     Just to better understand, what do you mean here with “the short straps with the snaps that snap inside the liner”?   Moreover I got another pic from the seller with the heat stamp of the liner:     Firestone liner ok but what does the cross mean?   Thanks again!

I have a really nice M7 Shoulder Holster.  Not sure if it is a repo or not.  My question is does the snap for the holster have a "Pull The Dot" snap or not?