Identifying insignia on a US helmet

[Jean-Loup]

I was just given a US helmet with a large triangle scraped into the paint on the left side of the helmet. Anyone know what unit this could be from. The lady who gave it to me found it on august 30th 1944 in the Somme region, and said it was the unit commanded by Patton...
Inside the helmet, in white paint, it is written C-0757. I suspect this is the guys serial number. Anyway to find anything with just the serial nuber?

Thanks.
JL

[Brian Dentino]

Jean-Loup, I doubt that the number is his Army Serial Number. Too short, but possibly the last 4 digits of his US social security number? Don't know, just taking a guess. I would say that, if this is the case, then C is probably the first letter in his last name. There's my 2 cents worth on that...

Brian

The triangle patch does sound like an armoured division patch though.

[Jack T]

If it has colors like my avatar it could be a armored division. They all look pretty much the same with different numbers.

[NavyFCO]

C0757 is probably the first letter of his last name with the last four digits of his Army service number. Unfortunately, these are pretty hard to track down, since there were probably two dozen (or more) soldiers with the same letter/number combo.

--Dave

[Jean-Loup]

There are no colours on the triangle; the paint is simply scraped off. I think it probably does represent the insignia of your avatar thow: hell on wheels, because the date and location correspond almost perfectly, and the lady told me it was the 1st or 2nd armoured division.
Any idea about those numbers thow?
Its a pretty cool helmet.
JL

[Jean-Loup]

I posted at the same time as you Dave. If anyone knows what I could do about the number, tell me. I understand it is probably near impossible thow.
JL

[NavyFCO]

I posted at the same time as you Dave. If anyone knows what I could do about the number, tell me. I understand it is probably near impossible thow.
JL

Well, it's not entirely impossible... It will just take a LOT of legwork and a LOT of luck to figure out which of the soldiers it belonged to. Maybe one of those "lifetime" research projects..

--Dave

[Jean-Loup]

Was just scraping a triangle out of the paint a typical way of representing the "hell on wheels" insignia?
JL

[NavyFCO]

Jean Loup-

Someone Upstairs loves you.

Here is the ONLY possible match:

George C. Ciarrocchi, 33340757. Enlisted 16 October 1942 from Philadelphia, PA. Born in 1921.

Coincidentally, there's no listing in the SSDI for a dead George Ciarrocchi, and there's a George Ciarrocchi that still lives in Philadelphia... Maybe worth contacting???

--Dave

[Jean-Loup]

Jesus, how did you do that so fast? I will try contacting him immediatly. The most incredible is that this helmet was given to me because I was recently on the front page of the local paper because I found the original owner of a 517th paratrooper helmet.... (you can ) Someone upstairs loves me...
I will try contacting this guy, and will keep you guys informed.
Thanks a lot Dave, what you just did is incredible... How did you find out thow?
JL

[Jean-Loup]

I still cant believe this! To good to be true; but I hope it is!!
JL

[NavyFCO]

How did you find out thow?

I'm an amazing guy... Actually, the NARA website helped a lot, and there were only two guys that had the C0757 combo. The second guy enlisted in July 1944, so I assume that he's not the guy we're looking for.

I hope it's him!!!

--Dave

[David Wheatley]

Amazing, simply amazing!!


--Keep us updated & let us know if you can contact the vet!!

[Jean-Loup]

For now, no one is answering the phone ...
About the insignia, there actually seem to be a few remanents of yellow and red paint. Maybe the hell on wheels thing was painted on then scrped off??
JL

[Jean-Loup]

Mr Ciarrocchi isnt home right now, but he is 83 years old, and will be there latter onin the day....
JL