Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice original mid-to-late WWII U.S. M1 helmet ensemble, consisting of a Schlueter-manufactured front-seam, swivel-bale steel shell, correct Westinghouse high-pressure liner, original OD Green chinstrap, and a period-applied helmet net. The complete set shows honest service wear and may have remained in use after WWII, but it retains an excellent overall wartime appearance.

The M1 helmet entered production in 1941 and remained the standard American combat helmet through WWII and for decades afterward. The helmet consisted of a protective steel shell worn over a removable fiber liner containing the suspension and sweatband. Schlueter began producing M1 helmet shells in 1943 and marked its shells with an “S” beneath the heat-lot number.

The shell is faintly marked 346A / S, placing it within Schlueter’s wartime production range and consistent with approximate 1944 manufacture.

The early M-1 helmet shells had a set of fixed (static) chinstrap loops called "bales" and a stainless steel rim. 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 October 1943, issues with the fixed bales breaking off resulted in a change to the "swivel bales" that this helmet has. In 1944, to deal with paint wearing off the very shiny stainless steel rim, the material was changed to manganese steel in October, and then the seam moved to the rear in November.

This helmet is a fine example and still retains all of its original WWII parts and the shell has "corked" grain paint with front seam and swivel bails. The shell does not look to have been repainted. The chin strap is the correct late war OD Green with stamped steel hardware. The shell and chinstrap are in very good condition.

The liner is correct "high pressure" WWII issue and a very faint embossed with a W for manufacture by the Westinghouse Electric Co of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These "high pressure" manufactured M-1 helmet liners are 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.

This true US WWII M-1 helmet liner can be identified through the frontal eyelet hole. Other correct WWII features include OD Green #3 cotton herringbone twill (HBT) cloth suspension liner, with the webbing in good condition. 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 liner chinstrap is original but is missing part of the buckle so it does not properly close. The leather sweatband shows dry rot with cracking and crazing. The front of the liner has an attached small gilt Army officer badge with the name GROMEK underneath, though we are not sure when this was done. It was attached with a single screw in the middle so the badge spins around.

The original helmet net is in heavily worn condition, with some stiffness, and is quite fragile, so exercise caution when handling.

The combination of the Schlueter 346A / S heat-lot marking, front-seam swivel-bale shell, original cork-textured finish, OD Green chinstrap, Westinghouse high-pressure liner, WWII HBT suspension, GROMEK-marked officer badge, and fragile period helmet net makes this a particularly interesting M1 helmet ensemble. The deteriorated sweatband, incomplete liner chinstrap buckle, and fragile net are the principal condition issues, while the original shell configuration and wartime liner remain the strongest collector features.