Original Item: Only One Available. This is an incredible find, which we obtained recently from an old private museum. This is a unique Engineer Special Brigade M1 Fixed Bale Helmet which the museum purchased directly from the veteran in the early 1960s. This writer, in fact, recalls seeing this same helmet in the museum display back in the 1980s and 1990s! This McCord helmet is stamped with heat lot 140B, which indicates the approximate manufacture date of May 1942, just after the U.S. entered into WWII. The helmet is interesting in the fact that it is a period depot repainted/refitted helmet (which was not at all uncommon in 1944-1945) which was repainted over a Four-Panel Medic Helmet, and the outlines of the Medic Helmet Markings are still visible!

This helmet likely dates from the closing months of World War Two into the Early Occupation Period, as a few ESB units were stationed overseas in theater into 1946, such as the 1st Engineer Special Brigade which was inactivated in Korea, and the 4th which was inactivated in Japan, both in 1946. Unlike the most common type of ESB helmet, with the ESB insignia centered below the white arch, this helmet features a two-tone, black and white, ESB insignia painted on the right side of the helmet shell only. We have not been able to track down the specific unit that this helmet is from, but with some additional research we feel that is possible. The helmet features a low heat lot number (140), and is of the fixed bale variety. In addition to being repainted, the chinstraps were replaced as well. The chinstrap hook is of the late stamped variety which became standardized in mid-1945.

The Liner, which is one of the rare examples made by INLAND, was also repainted at the same time with the same paint used on the exterior of the shell. The Liner suspension is OD#3 (Khaki) fastened into the liner shell the means of Zinc-Coated “A”-Washers. The liner is complete with original sweatband and nape strap. The suspension is torn in the front, but overall does not detract from the outward appearance or displayability of the helmet itself.

Overall, this is an excellent opportunity to obtain a very scarce WWII U.S. Painted Helmet which is completely “Fresh to the market”.

The History of the Engineer Special Brigades
Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II. Initially designated engineer amphibian brigades, they were redesignated engineer special brigades in 1943. The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the European Theater of Operations. The 1st Engineer Special Brigade participated in the landings in Sicily and Italy before joining the 5th and 6th Engineer Special Brigades for the invasion of Normandy.

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the Southwest Pacific Area, and participated in the campaigns in the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Leyte, Luzon, the Southern Philippines and Borneo campaign. The 1st Engineer Special Brigade fought in both theaters of the war, participating in the Okinawa campaign near the end of the war. The 2nd Engineer Special Brigade remained active after the war, and served in the Korean War before being inactivated in 1955.

At the onset of direct American involvement in World War II, it became apparent that the United States would need a large strategic and tactical amphibious warfare capability. In 1941, the amphibious forces were divided into two corps: one in the Atlantic, and one in the Pacific. Both were combined United States Army and United States Marine Corps commands, administered by the United States Navy. The Amphibious Corps, Atlantic Fleet, consisted of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Division, while the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, consisted of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Marine Division.

In April 1942, the United States and United Kingdom agreed on plans for an emergency invasion of Northwest Europe in the late northern summer of 1942 (Operation Sledgehammer) that would be conducted in the event of signs that the Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse, or that the Germans were withdrawing from Western Europe, possibly due to an internal coup or collapse. This would be followed by a full-scale crossing of the English Channel in mid-1943 (Operation Roundup). These were envisaged as shore-to-shore operations. The US Navy's policy at this time of only taking volunteers meant that it was short of manpower, and those personnel it had available were mainly allocated warships and the amphibious ships required for ship-to-shore operations. This meant that the landing craft for Sledgehammer would have to be operated by the British and the US Army.

For additional Information, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer_Special_Brigade