Original U.S. Korean War USMC Rear Seam Swivel Bale M1 Helmet with MSA Liner & Torn Blue Anchor USMC Cover With Stenciled Eagle, Globe and Anchor
In stock
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice service-used example of a Korean War-era U.S. Marine Corps M1 helmet, consisting of a late WWII-pattern rear seam swivel bale shell, WWII-manufactured MSA liner updated during the Korean War, and a heavily worn 1953-dated Blue Anchor reversible USMC camouflage helmet cover. Helmets assembled from WWII-produced components remained extensively in American service through Korea and into the early Vietnam period, and this example shows the mixture of earlier equipment and later replacement components typical of continued M1 helmet use.
The steel shell appears to be a late WWII example and features swivel bales, a manganese steel rim, and a rear seam. The heat lot marking was struck at the edge beneath the rim and unfortunately cannot be read. The shell is fitted with a correct Korean War-style chinstrap using bent metal attachment brackets at the bales. The buckle assembly also incorporates the separate connector associated with the later chinstrap system, designed to release under excessive strain and reduce the possibility of injury to the wearer.
The Helmet comes with a heavily service-worn and torn condition 1953 dated U.S. Marine Corps Reversible Camouflage Cover, which still has a stamped EGA on the front which was done during the Korean War and not WWII. One of the inner flaps still has a faint manufacturer stamp:
COVER, HELMET, CAMOUFLAGE
BLUE ANCHOR OVERALL CO., INC.
TAP - 1424 29 APRIL 1953
Manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this “high pressure” manufactured M-1 helmet liner is identified by an embossed MSA in the crown. Mine Safety Appliance started M-1 helmet liner delivery to the US Army in September 1942. They produced approximately between 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 M-1 helmet liners and discontinued production around August 17, 1945 when the war ended.
The liner still retains most of the original WWII suspension with a few small pieces added during the Korean War. The sweatband was also added during the Korean War. The interior crown is stenciled JOHNSON in yellow, perhaps an identification to the marine who wore this. There is heavy wear and some tearing to the suspension.
This helmet is particularly representative of that continuity between WWII and Korean War equipment. The late-war rear seam swivel bale shell, WWII MSA liner with later suspension additions, Korean War chinstrap, heavily worn Blue Anchor 1953 camouflage cover, and period-style stenciled EGA combine into a helmet showing substantial service use rather than a collection of uniformly preserved components. The torn cover, mixed-period liner fittings, unreadable shell heat stamp, and JOHNSON stencil all remain important parts of its history and provide a strong example of the continued adaptation and reuse of the M1 helmet by the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War era.
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