help with US helmets I found, What is what?

[Marc verstraete]

Hello,

Although the items where all found in the same place, I decide to make a new treat instead of continuing the one on "help with combat knifes" with items who where not at all related to the knifes.

Here the first of the helmets. I don’t have any books on the subject and my knowledge is limited on what I have seen in the past. I never owned on of these in cardboard. What is it?

Marc

[Marc verstraete]

inside

( I have a bag full of inside parts for the helmets, I will post them later to see what goes whit what)

[Marc verstraete]

side detail.

( the piece of lining hanging inside the helmet on the 2th. picture is not nesesarily from this helmet. I put it there)

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Marc, that is the early Hawley pattern M1 helmet liner. They are quite scarce. They were not made after 1942 as they were found to be too easy to damage and they were replaced with the familiar conventional "high pressure liner" seen in M1 helmets thereafter. They can be seen on wartime photos easily due to the thick edge which can be seen under the steel outer sheel. Checkout any early war photos to see one in use.

When I collected US kit back in the 1980's I always wanted one of these. I never did get one

Cheers, Ade.

[RayG]

It's a second pattern Hawley. Easy to complete as it took the regular leather head/sweat band and chin strap. The first pattern took the early rayon head band, (hard to find on the loose) and a non-detachable chin strap. Nice find, Ray

[Jason G]

Agreed! Look at the damage to the rear, this is the perfect answer as to why these helmets were discarded after limited production. A very nice, and scarce, find.

Best Regards,
Jason

[kennethc]

Congrate!

[Marc verstraete]

Hello again,

Thank you for the above info.

Here a few more lightweight helmets. Any comments appreciated.

Marc

[Marc verstraete]

This one has on the inside a "F" logo and the number (date?) 43.

[Marc verstraete]

The one below has a "W" logo and "D" 18 on the inside.

[Marc verstraete]

The inside lining is diferend than the others.... it has snaps??

[Marc verstraete]

I have a bag full of these, but only one with these "snaps" do it belong to the above helmet? It is made of a type of sintetic material...

[Marc verstraete]

Is this the "rayon" Ray was talking about earlier?

[blinky]

Hi Marc

Yes, that's the rayon headband that would go in the liner pictured in post #11. This combination was used while they were using up old stocks of suspension materials Later pattern headbands were attached to the inside suspension using clips rather than snaps.
It's a nice combination.

The "D" logo is for Westinghouse Electric Company and "F" is for Firestone.

Eric

[Marc verstraete]

Thank you Eric, I completed the # 11 with the lining. The folowing helmet has a cross with the letters Ca - Ac inside.