Opinions Please M-2 Parachutist Helmet

**hawk3370** · 01-05-2010, 03:15 AM

Friend of mine picked this up at a local estate sale a couple years ago and passed it on to me. Sale was in Phenix City, Al just across the river from Ft. Benning, GA (Home of the Airborne). It is a front seam, fixed bale with an Inland Liner.
I am not up on the WW2 helmets and would like your opinions.

**Boyd9211** · 01-06-2010, 07:22 AM

Im afraid I dont know much of the us lids other than the fact that the front seam fixed bail is early ww2.... the chinstrap on the liner indicates para..... to me it looks like a stunner !!! I wish I had one like it

**emileverbunt** · 01-06-2010, 09:24 AM

Hello Hawk,

This seems to me to be a period M1C helmet, not a M2. The M2 had so called D-bales; C-shaped bales, spot welded on like the squared fixed bales on your M1C.

The texture of the paint points to war time helmets. The fixed bale, front seam indicate early war, as do the brass ridged buckle and de "khaki" straps of the shell. The liner is WW2 as well, although the colour of the straps might be OD7 (olive) and that points to late war. Well combinations like that were common of course.

To my mind this is a very good helmet. Congrats!

Cheers,
Emile

**hawk3370** · 01-06-2010, 11:23 PM

by emileverbunt

Hello Hawk,

This seems to me to be a period M1C helmet, not a M2. The M2 had so called D-bales; C-shaped bales, spot welded on like the squared fixed bales on your M1C.

The texture of the paint points to war time helmets. The fixed bale, front seam indicate early war, as do the brass ridged buckle and de "khaki" straps of the shell. The liner is WW2 as well, although the colour of the straps might be OD7 (olive) and that points to late war. Well combinations like that were common of course.

To my mind this is a very good helmet. Congrats!

Cheers,
Emile

Emile,
Thanks much. The webbing inside the liner is actually tan, for some reason the flash maked them look light green. To get a better idea look at the side view of the liner with the y yoke hanging down.
Appreciate your comments.
Terry

ronl · 01-12-2010, 06:48 AM

It looks like a decent helmet, although I believe the chinstraps have been replaced as the weave and color just do not look right. The liner has been repainted. The wire buckles on the A yokes indicates late war. Should be a Westinghouse liner since it has the green A yokes. Should be a W over an oval inside a circle in the crown of the liner, along with two numbers and possibly one letter. Chincup looks a little too fresh to be original. I might be wrong about that. I'm just checking your helmet against a late war helmet I have. Only difference is that mine is a flex bale helmet, but either would be correct with that liner.

**hawk3370** · 01-12-2010, 02:13 PM

by ronl

It looks like a decent helmet, although I believe the chinstraps have been replaced as the weave and color just do not look right. The liner has been repainted. The wire buckles on the A yokes indicates late war. Should be a Westinghouse liner since it has the green A yokes. Should be a W over an oval inside a circle in the crown of the liner, along with two numbers and possibly one letter. Chincup looks a little too fresh to be original. I might be wrong about that. I'm just checking your helmet against a late war helmet I have. Only difference is that mine is a flex bale helmet, but either would be correct with that liner.

Ron,
Thanks, appreciate the comments. For whatever reason the flash made the y yokes and inside webbing look a pale green. They are actually tan. If you look at the side view of the liner you can see the yoke hanging down. This pic more represents the actual color.
Terry