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Real or Fake helmet?

Article about: Hello everyone, I am looking for some advice please regarding a helmet I bought years ago when I must have been about 12 (28 now). I was in France doing the Normandy tour with my father and

  1. #1

    Default Real or Fake helmet?

    Hello everyone,

    I am looking for some advice please regarding a helmet I bought years ago when I must have been about 12 (28 now). I was in France doing the Normandy tour with my father and bought this helmet at a shop just opposite the St Mere Eglise Church. I have only re discovered it when my parents moved house last week and I must have forgotten all about it.

    I have spent most of today reading up on this forum about M1 and M2 ect and how to spot reproductions/fakes. The shell seems to be in very good condition with fixed rectangular chin fixings, I understand they were later changed. I cannot find any stamp inside the lid. It has a shiny rim with the seal at the front.

    The inner piece has loads of identifications marks as shown in the pictures below, F for Firestone I believe.

    What I would like to know is if it is original or a reproduction? And the routh date? If you would like to see more pictures please let me know.

    Thanks for looking.

    Real or Fake helmet?

    Real or Fake helmet?

    Real or Fake helmet?

    Real or Fake helmet?

    Real or Fake helmet?

    Real or Fake helmet?
    Last edited by Captain Sox; 05-28-2014 at 06:07 PM. Reason: Clearer Picture

  2. #2

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    Surprised no one has answered.
    This my opinion from the little pictures.
    To me what you have is a helmet which may have been refurnished into a ww2 jump helmet.
    It could be a real ww2 helmet. If the joint on the stainless steel rim is at the front then there is a good chance its US ww2 era.

    Firestone were a ww2 manufacturer of liners, but form what I have read they did not make jump liners, though some were converted to jump liners post war, but these usually had the “A” frames added to them with separate rivets not placed under the “A” washers.
    Hope this is a little help and others will chime in to any other queries you have.
    Could do with bigger pictures for the guys to be able to help.
    edited due to miss read post.

    Rod
    Last edited by plumbob; 05-29-2014 at 10:14 PM. Reason: miss read the original post

  3. #3
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    It looks correct but the pics won't enlarge for me so can't give proper advice buddy. Also are the chinstrap bales on the shell fixed or able to swivel? Cheers, Sean.

  4. #4

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    Quote by seandm View Post
    It looks correct but the pics won't enlarge for me so can't give proper advice buddy. Also are the chinstrap bales on the shell fixed or able to swivel? Cheers, Sean.
    good question misread,never gave that a thought.
    Rod

  5. #5

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    i would say in my opinion its an early korean war period m1c but has been retrofitted the earlier ww2 period m2 chin cup strap so a messed around lid ,its not really my field so ill wait for more learned members to comment
    Regards James

  6. #6

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    High resolution pictures are a necessity.

  7. #7

    Default

    Thanks for all your input gents. I do not know why they are not high resolution? Taken with an IPhone HD camera. I will try again with more detailed photos.

  8. #8

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    It always astonishes me the lengths someone will go to just to add a few quid to an item,so here we are in St Mere Eglise just about the most famous 101st Airborne place in Normandy,and also this would have been around the time of Saving Private Ryan being released so you have a very stirred up new interest in Normandy and along comes an original fix Bale with original painted liner which from that area in its own right would be something pretty special to own,but instead fake Airborne webbed straps and A yokes are added to enhance the value but in doing so have ruined what might have been a completely original Helmet from that area,overall its a crying shame..............

  9. #9
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    Hi, To put your helmet into context you have a genuine WW2 era US M1 helmet with fixed bales ,stainless steel rim with the seam at the front.

    I doubt it was used in '44 as an Airborne M2. Firestone did not manufacture M2 liners at this period only post-war which is the big give away, again as previously mentioned high resolution pictures would be more beneficial so we could pick up on more detail of the features.

    Sadly there are so many fakes around in light of the Hollywood movies and general romanticised interest in these pieces, which does leave a lot of suspicion and scepticism around any item collected from Normandy, for example many years ago I bought an M1 which was allegedly sourced from St Mere Eglise , following a lot of research I discovered it was a genuine M1 but unless the Gi was time traveller it could not have been used in 1944 as it was a Vietnam era Helmet so I learned a vital lesson there.

    Most importantly by showing this Helmet you have created a great discussion, which is always the point of these forums so good on you.I constructively think it's a great piece of history nevertheless, and would be proud to have it on display

  10. #10

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    Gentlemen,

    I am sorry for my late reply with the thread, called away to work and only got home now. Thank you all very much for your comments.

    To answer a few of your questions,

    The helmet does have a joint at the front and seems to be stainless steel,
    The liner is made by Firestone, F2 is stamped under the main crest,
    The chin strap bales are fixed,

    Opex, thank you very much for your summary of the helmet.

    Additional info,

    It is missing the liner chin strap but on the rivet is says "RAU F.CO.R.I PROV"
    Inside the nape strap it reads "CONT No W190-OM 39935" & then under "P.K.W. 1"

    It would be such a shame if someone has messed around with the liner and added these chin straps to make it more desirable, I would much prefer an untouched standard lid.

    Here are some more photos of the liner, I hope they are clearer.

    Cheers Sox

    Real or Fake helmet?

    Real or Fake helmet?

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