Original Item: Only One Available. This is a scarce and heavily service-worn original U.S. late-WWII M1-C airborne helmet subsequently reissued and modified during the postwar period, most likely during the late 1940s or 1950s. The helmet retains the correct airborne shell configuration with swivel bales and snap-equipped chinstraps designed to connect with a paratrooper liner, together with a genuine WWII Mine Safety Appliances high-pressure liner that was later “rigger-converted” for airborne use with separate A-yokes and liner snaps. An 82nd Airborne Division decal is applied to each side of the shell, making this an especially interesting example of WWII-manufactured airborne equipment that remained in U.S. Army service during the early Cold War.

The M1-C developed during World War II as the improved successor to the earlier M2 paratrooper helmet. The M2 utilized distinctive fixed D-shaped chinstrap loops, which proved vulnerable to bending and breakage during service. The M1-C instead incorporated the standard swivel-bale shell while retaining specialized extended chinstraps fitted with male snaps. These connected to corresponding female snaps on the airborne liner and helped secure the complete helmet assembly during parachute operations.

The M-1C helmet retains its original cork grain paint and swivel bale chinstrap loops, although it was likely repainted when it was reissued. It also has original shuttle loom sewn chinstraps set with original hardware and snaps, both of which work well. The shell is marked with a faint partial heat stamp which we believe to read 1161 indicating it was manufactured by the McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan late in the war. The shell itself has a rear seam with a manganese rim.

The liner is a genuine World War Two issue M1 Helmet liner by MSA, which was then modified at arsenal to be a paratrooper liner. This process included adding a "female" snap to both sides of the liner, which would interface with the shell chin strap, which on paratrooper models had an extension with a "male" snap on it. Also, 4 of the rivets retaining the "A" washers were removed, which allowed the canvas "A-Yoke" straps that attached to the chin strap to be installed.

The liner is at it's core a correct "high pressure" style M-1 Helmet liner, which was manufactured by Mine Safety Appliances of Evans City, Pennsylvania, identified by an embossed stylized MSA logo in the crown. There is also a 7 mold number next to this, used to track deficiencies during manufacture. 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.

A true US WWII M-1 helmet liner can usually be identified through the frontal eyelet hole. Other correct WW2 features include cotton herringbone twill (HBT) cloth suspension in early ear OD Green #3. This HBT suspension is held tightly within the M-1 helmet liner by rivets and a series of triangular "A" washers. The three upper suspension bands are joined together with a shoestring. This way the wearer could adjust the fit. The original sweatband is intact, and the suspension has heavy wear to include some tearing and verdigris. The yokes are still well-attached, and some of the underlying steps taken to convert the liner are still visible in the right light. The original liner chinstrap is still attached and stretched over the brim. The interior of the liner is inscribed CHARLES L. AMES, a good research project.

The interior of the shell itself is stamped twice with laundry number W8248. Then, along the brim is the inscription:

E. WEINTRAUT US 52098248

Due to the lack of Korean War era records, we could not identify this soldier. The helmet shell has an applied 82nd Airborne Division decal on both the left and right sides. There is much more wear to the decal on the right side, while the left side’s decal has held up better.

This helmet is particularly significant as a layered example of the U.S. Army's continued use and modification of WWII airborne equipment after 1945. The late-war rear-seam McCord M1-C shell, probable 1161 heat-lot marking, original snap-equipped airborne chinstraps, WWII MSA liner with postwar separate A-yoke conversion, surviving liner hardware, paired 82nd Airborne Division decals, and multiple soldier or laundry markings together document several phases in the working life of the helmet. While the precise identities of its wearers remain unresolved, its configuration is strongly representative of the equipment maintained by the 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War-era and early 1950s airborne service period.