Item:
ON4252

Original U.S. WWII Torpedoed Ship 1941 M1 McCord Fixed Bale Front Seam Helmet with Hawley Liner

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. The front of this helmet reads:

LANE W.M.
HAZEL PARK MICH
TORPEDOED AUG 26 1943

On August 26th, 1943 Lane was aboard the USS John Bell which was part of Convoy UGS 14. The Liberty ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off La Calle, Algeria (37°15'N 8°24'E) by U-410 ( Kriegsmarine) with the loss of one of her 72 crew. Survivors were rescued by HMS BYMS-23 ( Royal Navy) and HMSAS Southern Maid ( South African Navy).

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 stamped 40which indicates the approximate manufacture date of August 1941.

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.

The early M-1 helmet shells had a set of fixed 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).

This helmet is a fine example and still retains all of its original WW2 parts and the shell has all original "corked" grain paint with front seam and fixed bails.

Features a RARE Hawley Liner:
The shape and characteristics of the Hawley liner were identical to those of the fiberglass counterpart. The differences were the material of construction and the absence from the front metal grommet, which is where insignia could be placed. The suspension was made of a series of canvas straps. The sweatband has a leather cover. The whole assembly was riveted to the body of the liner. Small buckles were provided to adjust the suspension. However, doing so was difficult and very clumsy. The hawley liner was issued in very small numbers during the early days of World War Two.

  • This product is available for international shipping.
  • Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Cash For Collectibles