Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a genuine WWII Front-Seam Swivel Bale M1 Helmet made by McCord Radiator, fitted with a very nice liner by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. The U.S. WWII M-1 helmet was only produced from 1941 to 1945. The first production batch resulted with over 323,510 M-1 helmets before the start of the American involvement in the war. This helmet is partially heat lot stamped 900D which indicates the approximate manufacture date of May 1944.

The Ordnance Department selected McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan to produce the steel M1 helmet bodies. These bodies were made from a single piece of Hadfield Manganese steel that was produced by the Carnegie-Illinois & Sharon Steel Corporations. Each completed raw M-1 helmet shell weighed 2.25 lbs each.

This very good condition M1 shell has correct mid war swivel chinstrap loops, called "bales," and a stainless steel rim with a front fully welded seam. These rims were both rust resistant and had "non-magnetic qualities" that reduced the chance of error readings when placed around certain sensitive equipment (such as a compass). In November 1944 the specification was changed to have the rim seam in the rear of the helmet.

This helmet is a fine example and still retains all of its original WW2 parts and the shell has replicated "corked" grain paint, with only light wear. There is also the usual wear on the stainless steel rim. It has the correct late war OD green #3 Chin straps with steel buckles. These helmets were often repainted so well by J.Murray Inc that it is extremely difficult to determine his painted examples and original ones!

The liner is correct high pressure WWII issue and stamped with a W for the Westinghouse Electric Co Manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this "high pressure" manufactured M-1 helmet liner is identified by an embossed "W" in the crown (which is still Westinghouse's logo to this day). Westinghouse was the largest M-1 helmet liner producer and had two production divisions; Micarta and Bryant Electric.

The Micarta Division produced about 13,000,000 M-1 helmet liners and the Bryant Electric Division about 10,000,000. Westinghouse Electric Company started M-1 helmet liner delivery in May 1942. Westinghouse did have a contract to produce airborne liners and converted an unknown amount to airborne configuration. Westinghouse discontinued production around August 17, 1945 when the war ended.

This true US WWII M-1 helmet liner can be identified through the frontal eyelet hole. Other correct WW2 features include cotton herringbone twill (HBT) cloth suspension. 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 the correct string. This way the wearer could adjust the fit. The original leather chin strap is no longer present.

These helmets have become increasingly difficult to find in recent years, especially genuine WW2 issue liners with the correct HBT straps. Almost certainly to appreciate in value year after year!

J. Murray Inc. 1944 (From Their Website)
Pub Talk - “Put-Together – Real or Fake? Part II”

“From first issue to discontinuation, M-1 helmet assemblies were continually recycled by the Military. Once replaced, these symbols of American military power found their way into surplus stores all over the country. Surplus stores were notorious for separating helmets from liners and removing liner inserts in order to better stack both up in the corner while selling off parts individually. For decades these assemblies were sold for pennies on the dollar with a mix match of parts and no regard for the feelings or perspective of yet unborn M-1 helmet collectors.

Today a good complete M-1 assembly can bring more than double its collectible value if it is sold for parts however, prior to 1998 lackluster collector enthusiasm made it almost impossible for militaria dealers to sell a M-1 if it didn’t have all its parts.

This phenomenon combined with the handling practices at surplus stores resulted in arbitrary named and numbered parts finding their way into helmet assemblies they had not been with during their time of service.

Regardless of how these assemblies came together, a faction of the collecting community began to refer disparagingly to helmet configurations like these as “put together”. By design, the M-1 helmet assembly was just that “an assembly” and was intended to be “put together”. This aspect was one of the helmets most unique and innovative attributes. The reality that the Military, surplus stores and dealers participated in the cross pollination of these items can’t be undone and if you are going to collect M-1 helmets you are going to have to come to terms with this truth.

It is helpful to understand that M-1 helmets were not issued to individuals they were issued to units and were the property of the unit. Even though a significant number of helmets found a way home without being turned in, most helmets were sold for surplus and blended up through this pollination process.

If you are intent on limiting your collecting to helmets you believe to have been brought home by a soldier and in essence “frozen in time” exactly as it was configured when last used, you will seriously hinder your ability to collect. By strict definition, this means that you would need to find every configuration of liner, helmet, net, cover or other attribute frozen in time to be considered not “put together”.

Because every collector defines “put together” differently, based on their collecting focus, the definition of originality transfers to the eye of the beholder. With the understanding that all M-1 helmets were put together at some point in their history the question becomes – when?

As a collector you must bring your experience and knowledge together and fill in the missing gaps with your gut feelings. Look a helmet over, get a feel for it and if it speaks to you, does it really matter if you can definitively prove that the sum of all its parts have been together since issue?

Remember, helmets in your collection can be whatever you choose to believe them to be as long as you understand and accept that if you ever sell them other collectors will determine what value they place on your helmets by the way they speak to them and that these two views will never match up. Further, a helmet’s context or provenance does not have to be tied to a specific individual or event to be authentic, it can simply be an accurate example of a WWII helmet.”