Original Item: Only One Available. This is perhaps one of the most attractive, nearly unissued condition, early WWII USMC helmet we have come across. This helmet features an iconic early 1st issue helmet cover with the only “wear” present being from storage and handling. This helmet may have been worn by a higher ranking officer who did not spend much time in the field or the front lines, allowing this helmet to remain in excellent condition all these years.

This is a very nice example of a genuine WWII Front-Seam Fixed Bale M1 Helmet made by McCord Radiator, with a Westinghouse liner and USMC cover. 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 heat lot stamped 54B which indicates the approximate manufacture date of January 1942.

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 M1 shell has correct early war fixed chinstrap loops, called "bales," and a stainless steel rim with a front 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 WWII parts, and the shell has all original "corked" grain paint, showing only light use, with no evidence of a repaint. There is also the usual wear on the stainless steel rim with minor deformities. There are the expected stress cracks located on the rear of the helmet, a common sight to see with early manufactured M1 helmets. It has the correct early war OD green #3 Chin strap with a cast brass buckle.

The included USMC reversible camouflage cover is in excellent condition, and overall this helmet does appear to have seen little use. There is no stenciled EGA present, a common sight to see on these covers. This stamping on the covers was done post war and into the Korean War, meaning this either escaped that fate or was never used post WWII.

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 be identified through the frontal eyelet hole. Other correct WWII features include cotton OD Green #3 herringbone twill (HBT) cloth suspension liner, with the webbing in very good shape, with a bit of staining from the fittings. 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 OD green string. This way the wearer could adjust the fit. The sweatband shows signs of minimal wear. The liner chin strap is present and solid.

An excellent, genuine early WWII issue helmet that comes complete, ready to be researched and displayed!