I bought this front seam swivel bail helmet from a WWII Vets family a few years ago after he passed away with several other of his pieces. It has Kansas City spelled out where the corking was removed before the last paint job. The liner is Inland. I am wondering if this is a WWII Navy color or post war repaint?

The pic overall of the helmet

Looks like it's definately possible :thumbsup:

it has the look of a navy shipboard used helmet, is the hardware on the chin straps corroded? rusty? judging by the looks of the shell & liner, it appears to have been exposed to the salt air environment from being on a ship.

Yes it is. The sailor was on the Arizona, Indy and several other ships but not the Kansas City which is why this helmet seemed out of place to me.

Yes it is. The sailor was on the Arizona, Indy and several other ships but not the Kansas City which is why this helmet seemed out of place to me.

Ship board Navy helmets were not "issued" to any one specific Sailor. Quite often, aSailor may adopt one as his own and mark it with personal markings and keep it. But, most just spent life in racks out on deck used by who ever picked them up. There was no standard color for Navy helmets, if they needed a coat of paint to clean up the rust, they got painted what ever shade of topside gray was handy at the paint locker. Ships names were not all that common on Navy helmets. Some times, but not all that much. "Kansas City" most likely means that some one from kansas City at one time in the life of the helmet put his home town on the helmet.

 

Steve Hesson

Either way, I like it. Wouldn't mind having it in my growing Navy brain bucket collection :thumbsup:

Looks Navy to me and great that you have the story!

 

Cheers,

 

Theorywolf

I paid 200 for the lot of the guys class photo, scrap book and this helmet I guess I did good.

Can anyone give me a value what it is worth? I have 15 helmets on my wall and running out of room may clear house