Original U.S. M1 Helmet Used in Saving Private Ryan – 2nd Ranger Battalion – With Copy of Notarized Letter of Authenticity
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is one of the original prop helmets used during the filming of Steven Spielberg's seminal work "Saving Private Ryan". The outside was painted with <2> 2nd Ranger Battalion markings on the rear. The shell itself is an original WWII Rear Seam Swivel Bale, but the interior has been repainted, so the heat lot number can’t be read.
The helmet bears the initials CRC written in black marker on the interior of both the shell and liner. This denotes that the helmet originated from Costume Rentals Corporation (CRC), which supplied a substantial portion of the World War II–era wardrobe and uniform pieces used in the film. This helmet—along with other materials—was only recently released following CRC’s closure in 2025, and as such, has never previously been offered on the market.
This helmet comes with a printed copy of a notarized letter confirming that the helmet and other material came from CRC, the Costume Rentals Corporation, who supplied a substantial amount of World War II-era wardrobe and uniform pieces for use in the film. The letter confirms that these materials were indeed used in the Production of SPR. The letter was signed by Harlan Glenn, who worked on the production of "Saving Private Ryan" as Costume Consultant and Purchaser.
The liner is a WWII Westinghouse example which has been fitted with Korean War era dark green suspension and fittings. The shell has a later Korean War/Vietnam War era dark green chinstrap.
A comparable 2nd Ranger Battalion helmet was offered at auction through The Prop Store with an estimate of $3,000–$6,000 USD. Although it did not sell, the highest bid reached $2,750. That can be viewed at this link (login to see the bid amounts) at this link.
On 1 April 1943 the 2nd Ranger Battalion was formed at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, along with the 5th Ranger Battalion. Both battalions were officially activated in September 1943 and shipped to Great Britain where they were prepared for Operation Overlord as part of six Ranger battalions of the Second World War.
On 6 June 1944, Dog, Easy, and Fox Companies, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, landed at Pointe du Hoc from LCA landing craft and specially modified DUKW "Ducks" operated by the Royal Navy. The 225 Rangers had set off from Britain to launch an assault upon the cliffs overlooking the English Channel. In order to augment the strength of the 2nd Battalion, members of the Provisional Ranger Group were assigned as well. Several landing craft containing Rangers and supplies capsized in the stormy waters and many Rangers drowned due to heavy equipment, but others were saved and hoisted into other DUKWs to participate in the attack. The Rangers had planned to land at the base of the cliffs at 0600 hours, however, because of a navigational error, they landed nearly an hour late. This cost the lives of more Rangers as well as the element of surprise. During the attack, the 190 remaining Rangers scaled the cliffs utilizing rope ladders, but only 90 Rangers were still able to bear arms after two days of relentless fighting. During the assault, 2nd Battalion managed to achieve their primary objective, disabling a battery of 155mm French artillery captured by the Germans. These guns were to be aimed at Utah Beach, however, the Rangers prevented their use, saving American lives on the shores of Normandy.
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