Understood, I’ll wait to hear more, I’ll circle back In a week or so. Thanks all 👍

Without proof, provenance, you have a helmet, a cover and a band with a name on it you dont know who it is. How do you know the relative was not stationed in Germany? Italy? Korea or any of the numerous posts across the globe? Or state side... In the guard or reserves? You have an ID'd headband which you dont know who the name belongs to or anything about them. ? You would be better off finding out what you can thats verifiable before declaring it anything other than what it is. I was in the guard... different time frame.. My helmet I wore for 4 years part time and took it home. The cover on it was and is beat and I drew on it. I know this because its my helmet. You have a green mitchell covered question mark.  band with a name and right now, very little else. Wait til your friend gets back to you. My two cents.    

Fair point, but there is also graffiti, I don’t know how else it would have gotten this kind of wear? What is another way it could have gotten that. I know it’s not storage for sure. Because the cover was hidden In a cardboard box, under a helmet. I just don’t see how else it could look like this? Please if anyone has any insight into another option, please correct and educate. I’m happy to listen and learn more 👍

So you are concluding that "genuine wear" equates to "definetly an in country worn helmet"  ?   It's hard not to push back on such assumptions.    

Yes, combat covers were faded and torn and at times replaced within a few months. But I have multiple named in country covers in various conditions based on MOS and one of them that I have was the guys second cover.   Marty

By the way, I solved the mystery of Hell's Angles:  

I spent a little time doing some forensic work on the construction of Dorsey's patches. The Hell's Angles, the 3rd Division tab and the backing for the embroidery of the 756th Tank Bn patch all use the exact same rough woven material. I am 100% convinced that Dorsey had the same tailor make all three of these patches.    These two images provide the details. In my opinion this will help others to authenticate other Austrian Theater-made patches from May '45 and later.  

To me this is definetly an in country worn helmet if I’ve ever seen one, the cover is super worn and faded, there are tears basically all throughout the brim to the point where it’s basically ripped in half, there are small little pebble size holes all throughout the cover, and especially in the top, the top is a whiteish grey khaki kinda of color from how many times it’s been late down, if ya’ll don’t think this is genuine wear, I don’t know what is…   Also, I hope this all comes across in a respectful manner, Not trying to argue or cause problems, but I am very confident in this helmet.

For example here’s a comparison of the outside used sort of the helmet and the flaps that still retain most of there color.

The giant tears around the rim could not have been done by bad storage as when the helmet was found the cover was rolled up with the band inside and under the helmet, away from the elements.