Original Item: Only One Available. This is perhaps one of the most attractive, nearly unissued condition, early WWII USMC helmets we have come across. This helmet features an iconic early 3rd issue helmet cover (with buttonholes) 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 Hood Rubber Low Pressure 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 779B which indicates the approximate manufacture date of late 1943, just before the switch to Swivel Bales. This is actually an extremely late manufacture date of Fixed Bales and could very well have been from the last batch of M1 helmets made with fixed bales.

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 cover itself is a “3rd Pattern” type with buttonholes present on both the main body and the flaps.

The helmet also features one of the rare early-war "low pressure" liners, which were constructed of rubber fiber, and were the thinnest construction of all WWII Liners. This liner was manufactured by Hood Rubber, and features the white stamped HR marking on the crown, steel triangular "A" washers, and the standard OD Green #3 HBT suspension, which was held over for the later versions of the liner. St. Clair also made the low pressure liner, but they used unique square washers and rayon suspension. The low pressure liners, like the Hawley paper liners, were found to be inadequate, and were replaced with the "high pressure" liner, so finding one still in a helmet is quite rare, as they were sold off to be children's toys.

The rigging in the liner is still completely intact down to the illusive nape strap. The sweatband is still present, with all retaining clips still present. Like all true US WWII M-1 helmet liners, this liner has the front vent eyelet hole. The three upper suspension bands are joined together with the correct string. This way the wearer could adjust the fit. All parts of this liner are original WWII manufacture. The liner retains a rather solid leather chinstrap with a rare and desirable green buckle clip. This is actually a great original example of a rare "low-pressure" liner.

A fantastic, early war configuration USMC worn M1 helmet that comes more than ready for display.