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3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

Article about: Awhile back I posted a thread with pictures about three M1´s I found at a car Swap Meet. The pictures arent visible any longer because new forum functions. Here they are again posted as atta

  1. #1

    Default 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Awhile back I posted a thread with pictures about three M1´s I found at a car Swap Meet. The pictures arent visible any longer because new forum functions. Here they are again posted as attached pictures.

    The helmets are three american M1 fixed bales front seam helmet lids. They have been sandblasted by some previous owner (hate that guy for doing it). When I got them they had large amounts of surface rust and one of the had approx 3 cm extremly hard laquer in it. According to the seller they were all found on an old boat that was being scrapped. Interestingly he claimed there had been 50 M1´s on that boat.

    Started with to inspect the helmets. No paint seemed to have survived the sandblasting. They also had many many stress fractures not unknown to early M1´s. One of the helmets also had a old repair done to one of the fractures by the left bale. It had been brasswelded and the bale hade been reattached. Probably an old repair. All helmets also showed lots of dings and dents.

    These first pictures show the helmets as I got them. Worth mentioning is that they were all stacked together and very hard to get loose.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

    3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

  2. #2

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    thread continues...

    To remove the surface rust I used citric acid. Mix hot water and citric acid together. When it tastes sour and stings a little around your nails when you get it on your fingers its a perfect mix. Leave over night.
    Next day I picked them up from the citric bath and rubbed them with a hard brush, washed them of with water and dried them. All rust was removed.

    At the point I found out that one of the shells stil hade some Olive drab inside but other from that they were 100% clean of old paint.

    This is one of them. (The number is a so called heat stamp.) Stressfractures at front and som dings and dents
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

    3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

    3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

  3. #3

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Helmet no2
    This helmet has the repair and was also the helmet filled with laquer.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

    3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  


  4. #4

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Helmet no3
    Probably the worst of the three. Great number of stress fractures in the back.
    This is how the helmets look today. Have been thinking to paint them in original olive drab and corked surface. However havent found any suplier of paint and cork. So for now I have left them as is. Paid 20$ for them
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  

    3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids   3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids  


  5. #5

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    About 3 years ago we were in Toronto (the wife's a Newfie) and there is a Army Navy Surplus Store on Young Street which is almost downtown I was looking around and found 3 US WW2 helmets down stair in the helmet bin. An old man was running the cash register at the time. He had no ideal what they where, I explained to him they where WW2 helmets . I packed them in a duffel bag and came right through immigration with out a problem. Thanks Joe

  6. #6

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Where was this old boat located? Do you know what kind by any chance?

  7. #7

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Not really. To my understanding it was a boat that was scrapped awhile back on the westcoast of Sweden. Ive tried to find out more on Swedish forums, but no luck. So its a bit strange, since 50 M1´s should have made a greater impression at the swedish collectors market.

    A hypotheses I have is that if the story is true perhaps they were bought just after the war as metalscrap. And shipped to sweden to be melted down. Sweden and many other european countries bought lots and lots of military surplus materials after the war. Swedish airforce was basicly built around old P51 Mustangs in the early 50´s. And if I remember it correctly Sweden and other countries bought strips of the invasion beaches in normandy to clean them up.

  8. #8

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    That's pretty interesting pvt snafu. There must be so much stuff just lying around,buried etc. It would make our heads spin. I guess it'll come up in dribs and drabs.

  9. #9

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Sometimes you can find really amazing things on flee markets in Sweden. But then you need to have some serious luck. Like my brother who found an near mint brittish combat jacket at a fleemarket for 2$.
    My self I try to have my eyes pealed for ww2 stuff but when I find it its mostly its of Swedish origin.

  10. #10

    Default Re: 3 M1 fixed bale front seam lids

    Over here it's probably just the same in most respects. Here we don't have as much access to WW2 items as you all do.(original & quantity) Flea markets still have the same type of people who want to get what they can for an item no matter where you live. Depending on the buyer and the seller, it's who ends up best. Hopefully...WE do. Which ever end we might be on. Swedish stuff,from what I have observed and read, is darned good stuff! (quality wise)Again, to find something here compared to there,(quantity&quality etc.) is not as likely. WW2 occurred over there. So...Most stuff is to be found over there. Keep your eye's open!!

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