Mysterious M1 helmet

[Octaviox]

Hi, I'm new here and I want to start asking for some help to identify a helmet my father gave me yesterday.

(It has no liner and no number indicating the production lot)

Since I've read a bit about it, I would say it's an early ww2 helmet because:
- Fixed bails
- Front seam
- stress cracks on the shell
- dark green colour

On the other side, I have some doubts of being from ww2 beacuse:
- painted inside
- no straps are stitched to the loops. Post ww2 metal clasps instead.


I believe it's a ww2 m1 helmet but re-used after the war ended.
what is your opinion?


thanks

[Bill T]

Hello Octaviox,

I will try to help. From my limited knowledge I believe it to be a ww2 shell repainted/reworked postwar, With the addition of the postwar green chinstraps. WW2 straps didn't have the black clasps that holds the strap to the bales . This was a postwar feature, as you have already stated. So I think your second opinion is correct. Not sure why the inside of the pot was painted white tho??

BTW- I know your new, but in the future could you please try to use our forum's photo uploader, so the pictures wont disappear later down the road? It renders the thread useless once Imageshack expires your photos. Thanks and welcome to the forum!

[Ryan B]

From what i can see i can agree with bill on all points, it is a wwii shell but repainted in Korea-vietnam era, the chinstraps are post korea.
Ryan

[Adrian Stevenson]

Welcome to the forum!

I would agree with all points.

I have added the pics to our server and corrected the thread title.

Cheers, Ade.

[Octaviox]

Thanks a lot for your comments and sorry about the pics links.

Then, it's clear to me that the name painted inside belongs to another owner, different than the one from the wwII, because the re-paint work could be dated between Korean and Vietnam wars. I'm afraid is not possible to know more about this "Anderson"...

is it common to find white painted helmets with names on it? I haven't seen anything similar on the net.

By the way, I don't want to sell or trade it but I'm curious about its value.

[anton67]

I also agree with all points.
The white, however is definitely not military.
Maybe you can strip it (just the white).
You can tape up the green and cover the outer part of the shell.
Then spray a citrus based stripper on the inside of the shell.
Then you can get it back to green.
You may also be able to see the heat lot number then.
It is otherwise a decent KW/VN era helmet.