Original U.S. WWII USMC Pressed Fiber Sun Helmet by International Hat Co.
In stock
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great condition genuine United States Marine Corps WW2 sun helmet. It comes with the original EGA insignia. a complete liner, but is missing the chinstrap. The brim of the helmet does show wear through the material. It is partially marked on the interior:
INTERNATIONAL HAT CO.
W30-280-QM-115
31 DECEMBER …
Unfortunately the year is too faded to read, so we cannot date the helmet, but it is likely 1943 or 1944. The sweatband is a bit misshapen but is in good condition overall. There is some heavy staining to the interior as shown.
History of the USMC Press Fiber Sun Helmet (courtesy of militarysunhelmets.com):
When the helmet of the United States Marine Corp in World War II is discussed it is likely the M1 steel helmet with the famous herringbone twill cover. But in fact this wasn’t the only helmet used by the USMC.
The pressed fiber sun helmet which was first adopted by the USMC on October 1, 1940 & saw use throughout the Second World War. Two companies, Hawley Products Company and International Hat Company, manufactured the helmets and more than 100,000 were produced.
While the pressed fiber helmet saw use by all branches of the military it is most recognized as a helmet of the USMC. In fact, it was widely used as a training helmet while production of the M1 steel helmet was ramped up.
The pressed fiber helmet was actually officially adopted and entered service prior to
the M1 helmet, while it remained in service with the US Navy until the 1990s, more than a decade after the M1 helmet was retired from service. This makes the pressed fiber helmet one of the longest serving types of US Military headgear. It saw use in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada and even Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
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