M1 fixed bale

[sirknight]

I've been lurking on the forum for some time now and figured it was time to actually post something. I've been collecting helmets for sometime now, all Canadian Military. Anyway, I just purchased my first US WW2 helmet. It's a fixed bale front seem so I know it's early WW2 M1. The paint on the shell is the only colour I've found on it, no primer or OD green on the outside of the shell only the corked blue paint (inside is OD). I'm just curious if any service painted the M1 in light blue or do I have something that may have been stripped and repainted at sometime.

[jumpingjank]

im no expert at all but looks navy ,usually though the inside of the shell is painted too but i could be wrong .Blue M1 helmet UN? - HELMETS & PROTECTIVE GEAR - U.S. Militaria Forum same helmet as yours there and nice buy !

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looks a bit like a UN helmet too

[GIZMO8Z]

UN would be my guess, too!

[MySonsDad]

The light shade of blue is more likely UN IMO, the navy used a much darger shade of blue that even had a hint of grey in it. Your example also does not have the classis "saltyness" of a navy used helmet.

Regards,

Russ

[jumpingjank]

would it have been painted during ww2 or is it a post ww2 paintjob ?

[GIZMO8Z]

As it is a front seam, fixed bale, it would have been used in WWII and then refurbished post WWII for UN service

[jumpingjank]

makes sense . its a nice helmet as well. i like it !

[MySonsDad]

These helmets (UN light blue) did exist during WWII......

Russ

[sirknight]

Thanks for the replies, I thought that my helmet may be a UN helmet, now the question is find a liner for it and leave it as is or restore it.

[MySonsDad]

Easier to find another Plane Jane WWII lid to restore than another UN blue lid.....IMO

I reserected one of these out from under a post war re-paint, you don't see too many of them around.

Russ