New Arrival today US M1917A1 Helmet

[Rakkasan187]

Thank you AEF1917..

I will go back and check my helmet later today.. If I understand right, if I lift up the leather lining that is over the frame, I should see the felt pad...

Great information...

Smitty

[MAP]

The felt is original, just installed wrong. It was intended to go between the leather and the liner band to fine-tune the fit. Here's a photo of the instruction tag that was issued with the liner assemblies.

Attachment 1363308

Thanks. I guess we will never know the "why" it was done this way. Maybe the helmet was just too tight and this was an easy why to make more room?

[CGR]

Yes, thanks AEF1917 for the info!

Would this have been done at the factory or by the Soldier it was issued to?

Sorry had a moment there. After reading the instructions again it seems it would have to be done by the Soldier as it says to adjust liner to fit but leave enough room for the felt.

[CGR]

Showed it to a guy I know that said no way mine ever left the States and was used in combat. I cannot say for certain it did but how does he know it didn't?

[MAP]

These were replaced very early in the war by the M1 . My guess is that I would doubt most to the ones used early war over in APAC ever made it back. By the time we started offensive operations everyone was wearing M1's

[Rakkasan187]

Sure enough, just checked under the leather liner in my M1917A1 and the felt pad is in there.

This M1917A1 has provenance to a US Army Nurse who volunteered for Active Duty service in May 1941. By December 30, 1941 she had reported to her Port of Embarkation Station and in March 1942 arrived at the North Sector General Hospital, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

It is most likely this helmet (mine) was initially issued to the Nurse at her stateside reporting station Camp Forrest, Tennessee.

In May 1941 she had requested Foreign Service on the "wish list" where a person could put up to 3 places they would like to serve and based on the needs of the military at the current time you may get stationed at one of your choices.. This particular nurse selected the Philippine Islands, Hawaii, and Panama.. She got lucky and was stationed in Hawaii.. If she had been selected for service in the Philippines prior to December 1941, she may have ultimately been captured by the Japanese...

Smitty

[CGR]

This guy is a know it all that I mentioned. He doesn't even own one nor ever has but he is an expert on them.
Everything he buys is rare and very valuable but anything thats yours is junk, that type.

[karkee]

Showed it to a guy I know that said no way mine ever left the States and was used in combat. I cannot say for certain it did but how does he know it didn't?

CGR, the original M1917A1 helmets were actually refurbished M1917 helmets with a new liner, which was first approved in 1934 as seen in this Rock Island Arsenal photograph...



These refurbished M1917A1 helmets often have heat stamps of various WWI manufacturers, both British and American (though the British-made shells can have their split rivets replaced with dome rivets). The refurbished shells were issued to the army and marines in the 1930s, as can be seen on this Marine Officer in China in 1937.



Just prior to WWII, the McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company received a contract to make new shells and I have read on other forums that they only produced shells from February to May of 1941, when they switched to the new M1 design. Generally speaking, the M1 was used overseas while the M1917A1 was used stateside. These 1941 McCord shells can be identified by their heat stamp, which consists of a one or two digit number and letter (like the example in this thread).

The refurbished M1917A1 certainly did see combat early in the war, primarily in the Pacific, but I'm not sure how many of the McCord helmets made it out to the forces engaged in these early battles before the M1 became standard. This may be what your 'friend' was referring to when he made his comment.

I hope this helps!