Army Bomber Crewman Flight Helmet

[Eric Doody]

I picked this piece up a couple of weeks ago and thought I would post some photos of the helmet on the forum.

From what I have been able to gather, this Army flight helmet is for a bomber crewman.

Unfortunately though, the flight helmet has seen better days.

[Eric Doody]

Photo 2 of 8...

[Eric Doody]

Photo 3 of 8...

[Eric Doody]

Photo 4 of 8...

Note name of owner (looks like Takahayashi) written in white paint on backside of helmet.

[Eric Doody]

Photo 5 of 8...

[Eric Doody]

Photo 6 of 8...

[Der Texaner]

Eric, you come up with some really nice items. Keep me in mind for your salty items if you ever want to part with them. Even though IJN is my main interest, I like all of the "been there" type items.

[Eric Doody]

Photo 7 of 8...

Note five-pointed leather star is missing from the leather circular backing!

[Eric Doody]

Photo 8 of 8...

Note stamping on inside of one of the ear cups. The characters indicate that the helmet was procured by the Hiroshima Branch Supply Depot and that the helmet was manufactured in 1938.

[GHP]

Photo 4 of 8...
...(looks like Takahayashi)

Then it would be pronounced Takabayashi. The "h" would soften to a "b" in this case.

Cheers,
Guy

[Eric Doody]

Eric, you come up with some really nice items. Keep me in mind for your salty items if you ever want to part with them. Even though IJN is my main interest, I like all of the "been there" type items.

J.Warren,

Thanks and will do!

This helmet is one of the few helmets I have seen that is named which makes this helmet a little more interesting, at least to me anyway.

Eir

[Eric Doody]

Then it would be pronounced Takabayashi. The "h" would soften to a "b" in this case.

Cheers,
Guy

Guy,

Roger that and thanks!

Eric

[A.E. Hamilton]

Army bomber crew flight helmet

Have not seen a helmet like this. The normal summer bomber crew flight helmet is padded and has the green OD type cotton lining like the fighter pilots summer helmet. Yours has this lining but has fur at the ear cups. The winter bomber crew flight helmets had heavy pile lining kind of like an old shaq rug. See page 310 of Prodger's book. I have a couple examples of both summer and winter with both winters having green pile. Does the fur look original to the helmet or added?

[Eric Doody]

A.E.,

Thanks for the feedback on the helmet.

The subject helmet is padded and does have the green silky liner like the regular Army summer type flight helmets have.

I too thought the fur around the ear cups was interesting feature. (By the way, the helmet does appear to have been made with the fur around the ear cups.) Out of curiosity, since the helmet has a some what early date, could the fur have been dropped on later bomber crewman helmets?

Eric

[John Egger]

Flight Helmet....

Eric,
Flight helmets , both army & navy, could be as varied in design as the numbers of men who wore them. I have a navy cloth flight helmet in my collection. I also have a book printed in Japan of wartime photos of Japanese Army pilots in training. There are numerous pictures of instructors and pilots in training that show at least 20 different types of army flight helmets. Not to mention several of the pilots are wearing German goggles!!!! 3 pictures show Japanese pilots wearing (on the flight suits) wings that no one can identify. Many Japanese flight helmets were private purchase from stores like Takashimaya who would add features for the buyer. My guess is that the fur around the inside of the ear cups was an custom feature designed to seal off cold air coming in thru the ear cup holes.
See ya Sat at the show Eric.
John