Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful battlefield pickup Shot Through example of the classic Type 92 Tetsubo (鉄帽 - "steel cap"), also colloquially called the tetsukabuto ( 鉄 冑 "steel helmet") by troops. The helmet was definitely "Shot Through" long ago, which would definitely have injured or killed a soldier if it was being worn at the time. It was then left on the battlefield for a while, which resulted in some light rust damage and deterioration of the liner. We have left it exactly as received, and made no attempt to clean what could very well be original battlefield dirt from the shell and liner.

According to the information received with the helmet it was purchased from the son of the person who brought it back. They had served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army 96th Infantry Division, and saw service in the Philippines. Per this information "The Japanese helmet was found by him in 1944 during or after the Battle of Leyte". There are also two photographs from the battlefield included, though they are not the best quality, being prints of pictures taken of a computer screen.

The helmet itself has a 1 inch long hole on the front left bottom skirt of the helmet, with a connecting crack going to the rim. The area around the hole is bent inward, and looks to have been from descending fire. The size and shape of the hole are consistent with a hit by small arms fire, most likely a .30 cal projectile. Close inspection of the paint, style and aging of the edges lead us to be very confident that this totally 100% genuine.

This example definitely shows evidence of service, with some paint loss and oxidation on the interior and exterior. The front star insignia is missing, which may have been removed to preserve honor. The original liner is present, but shows weather deterioration as well as dirt soiling. The original chin strap is almost completely missing, with just a bit left at the rear. There is a Kanji character in the interior rear of the helmet, as well as additional kanji writing on the inside of the front, which we have not been able to translate.

This is a great chance to pick up a very nice USGI Bring back shot through example of a Japanese WWII Type 92 Tetsu-Bo helmet, complete with a liner and pictures. These are getting harder to find in any condition on the market.

The Imperial Japanese Army was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1871 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of War, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor of Japan as supreme commander of the army and the navy. Later an Inspectorate General of Military (Army) Aviation, became the third agency with oversight over the army. During wartime or national emergencies, the nominal command functions of the emperor would be centralized in an Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ), an ad-hoc body consisting of the chief and vice chief of the Army General Staff, the minister of war, the chief and vice chief of the Naval General Staff, the inspector general of military aviation, and the inspector general of military training. The Japanese Type 92 (1932) Tetsubo, also colloquially called the tetsukabuto ("steel helmet") by troops, was a mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Army from its creation in 1932. It replaced the Japanese-made French Adrian helmets the armed forces had been using. Its construction from inferior chrome-molybdenum steel limited its ability to protect the wearer from gunfire or shrapnel.