Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an outstanding example of a field-worn Paratrooper helmet with an extraordinarily scarce Inland paratrooper liner and fantastic vesicant paint on the exterior shell. The shell has Sergeant Chevrons scratched into the front, and the name Jack Tritch is scratched in two spots on the shell and once on the liner, making this an outstanding matched set. While we couldn’t find a positive ID in our preliminary research, we are confident that this example could be identified with enough work. From the look of this helmet, we believe it was most likely used in the Italian or Southern France Campaigns.

This WWII Front-Seam Fixed Bale M1 Helmet was made by McCord Radiator, fitted with a phenomenal “Jump” liner by Inland. 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 236B which indicates the approximate manufacture date of July 1942, one of the earliest we have seen.

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 nice condition 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 an outstanding example and still retains all of its original WW2 parts and the shell has most of its original "corked" grain paint covered in spots by Vesicant gas detection paint across the exterior. There is a gorgeous set of Sergeant’s chevrons etched into the finish to the front. There is also the usual wear on the stainless steel rim. It has the correct early war khaki chinstraps fitted with a stamped brass buckle. The chinstrap is fraying a bit at one end. 

The correct "high pressure" style M-1 Helmet liner was manufactured in Dayton, Ohio by the Inland Manufacturing Division, as indicated by the embossed INLAND logo inside the crown. It is also marked with mold number 15, very early. This company started M-1 helmet liner delivery to the US Army in September 1942. They produced approximately 1,900,000 M-1 helmet liners and converted about 75,000 liners to airborne configuration. Inland Manufacturing discontinued M-1 helmet liner production in 1943 when their manufacturing services were deemed better used elsewhere.

Many Paratroopers were issued with M2 helmets, but the D-Bales often broke off, so many ended up with M1 Fixed bale examples like this one, and even more were issued M1 Fixed bales originally.

The liner is in great service-worn condition with the suspension still intact with some fraying in spots. The original leather sweatband shows heavy service wear but is still solid overall. Both paratrooper side straps are intact with the buckles in working order, although the chin cup is absent. The original liner chinstrap is intact but broken at one end, with both ends retained. There is a small break in the liner near the crown, with a piece broken and sticking outward, although this isn’t a huge issue. The exterior of the liner retains most of its paint with heavy wear at the crown. The name Jack Tritch is scratched into the paint at the front with a line slashed underneath. 

We conducted some preliminary research on Tritch, but as Jack could be short for John, Jackson, James, Jacob, etc… there are a great deal of possibilities, and we couldn’t find any matches. Sergeant Jack Tritch is out there somewhere, and this is a great opportunity to find him!

This is an unbelievably scarce theater-worn and painted M1 Paratrooper helmet, named on both the shell & the incredibly rare Inland paratrooper liner. There aren’t many M1 helmets that we can say with complete certainty have been together since the war, but this is one. We won’t see another example like this for a very long time, so don’t miss out. Comes ready to be identified and proudly displayed as the centerpiece of any Airborne collection.