My pair of Vietnam era M1 helmets and liners

[austromunga]

Hi all
I'm still sorting through my helmet collection out of storage, I have here my two Vietnam era M1 helmet sets... on infantry and one M1-C...

[austromunga]

First the infantry one.. this was the first ever helmet in my collection!!! I bought it in a second hand retro toy shop!! along with a Bundeswehr M62 that's on here too in the appropriate forum!!!! the Vietnam era M1 was in a sorry old state !!! the webbing in the liner was all rot had chunks missing and was generally falling to bits, the leather headband was dry as a bone and just as hard!! and it had all late 70's type chinstrap and woodland cover fitted..
I wanted to be able to wear it... so I have replaced all the webbing and chin straps for original Nos Vietnam period stuff.. and topped it off with a nice original Vietnam issue Mitchel cover for that worn look!!! shell heat stamp is 1-6251 and the markings on the liner Mfr No D-3593-GB-3.. any ideas!!??? and on the outer.. RNR and a cross???? a pardre perhaps or just a catholic grunt???. and the soldiers Army No or even a phone No ..as the 575 ******* rings a bell ...(sorry) look to be put on using a crayon...... so I don't know if they were added later or original!!?????
your thoughts please!!

[austromunga]

And now for the M1-C one ... my favourite!! I bought this online as an Austrian M1 clone Army helmet!!! This is what I was looking for as I collect M1 clones!!
but I noticed in the blurry pictures that the liner had the "A" frames for the Airborne liner chin strap and.. also the poppers for connecting the pot to the liner!!!
so I thought ok ..wrong liner for the pot as it is in Austrian grey...but ill put it in my infantry pot and make an M1-C out of that!!
when it arrived however I was surprised to see the heat stamp and original apple green paint..I believe making it American in origin!!! someone had simply hand painted the pot in an Austrian grey sort of shade !!!!!! so the shell had standard infantry chin strap.. so I replaced it for an M1-C one with "P" markings.. and got a couple of liner chin straps for it(one duo tone and on with U.S. stamp) as this was as usual missing.... and once again topped it off with a nice period used Vietnam issue Mitchel cover.. this one arrived with a nice faded (original???) biro marked on Sgt. SHOOK !! the heat stamp is 1-0453 and the liner maker mark in the crown is badly stamped/ damaged.. I cant make it out!!
your thoughts as always much appreciated!!!

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi the first shell is an Ingersoll,the liner is unknown to me as I can't recall having ever seen stamp markings like this on any US made Liners,the Mitchell is an unknown US Government contractor,the M1c shell is an RJ Stampings with Parrish chinstraps,the Liner was produced by Firestone,the Mitchell again the same US unknown contractor as above.............

[austromunga]

Hi Jake
Thanks for that... my mistake ....I noticed this last night when looking at it again!! an "I" not a "1"!!!!!! .....as for the liner I have seen one just like it once before on eBay, listed under original Vietnam helmet and liner and coming from the good ole U.S. of A, and it was in the same rough condition as mine came in, ....so I would surmise that It could be correct... and not a cobbled together one!!?? I bought it cheap in a retro toy shop, so its not like it was made up to get huge amounts of money from a lucky victim, for a rare original!!
any ideas on the RNR markings.. grunts initials maybe!!????

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi sorry can't help with the markings could mean absolutely anything,with regards to that Liner,just because it came from the US that in no certain terms automatically guarantees its genuine,many US ebay items are "Not" correct,This type of Combat Nylon Liner was adopted along with the M1 shell by many Far Eastern and South American Countries,at a guess maybe Taiwan origin................

[austromunga]

Ok thanks Jake i'll do some more research on the liner...... and you've given me a good place to start!! if I find anything i'll post it!!
one more question... would the M1C liner have come fitted to either shell.. ingersol or R.J. stampings???... as if its only fitted to the other shell I can swap the liners over!!

[ruddersrangers44]

If you swap the Liners then it wouldn't look the same,many Nam vets chopped the A frames off and wore the liner as Infantry,but personally I would keep the Airborne Liner with the shell with the extended chinstraps as thats what they were intended for................

[austromunga]

Ok thanks again
wouldn't it have been just as easy to just threadle the liner chin strap over the suspension cradle and buckle it up again ... that's what I've done!!!
as for the swaperoo I would have changed the chinstraps over as well!!! ... but ok I'll leave em as is!!! there all adjusted up nice n tight too and its a faff to disturb!!!
.....do you have any knowledge of late Vietnam/post Vietnam woodland camo helmet covers!!????
maybe you could help me with this one posted here Militaria fair finds M1 helmet covers
I'm sure I've seen this marking on a cover before...... but at the moment I can't think where!!!!

[ruddersrangers44]

If you change the chinstraps over as well then your kinda defeating the object of owning an original Airborne Helmet?also speaking from experience those locking tabs are fragile and certainly do not like being opened then closed etc,eventually they snap off............