Hi all
Well here's my latest addition to my M1 collection!!!
It's a Chilean M1, with helmet cover as used by the Chilean marines!!!
The shell is an American M1 late war, rear seam...presumably... (the rim ring is now missing!!) swivel bail, with the heat stamp 1275A it had suffered stress cracks, which have been subsequently WELDED!!!!! I presume the rim ring was removed at this time for ease of repair and discarded.... the chinstrap is second T1 type with anti-strangle fitment.. it has several coats of paint directly over layers of peeling!!!! the lowest visible in a few places would seem to be fine sand textured...
The liner shell is marked U.S. 28 and has had the Riddell webbing cradle replaced ....using large crude chrome plated "rivits"... and the spare holes are plugged with brass junk!!!! also it has signs of the usual splitting of the fibres on the edges... someone has applied heat to the areas in an attempt to effect a repair..... causing hardening and melting (but in some places this looks to have worked quite well!!!! to prevent further splitting!! .......but pretty it aint !!!!!!!!!!! (see pics) the owners name has been painted inside "Gomez"???? and at a later date painted over with green...which has now worn to reveal the name again!!!...
The cover... in a "tea cosy" pattern as opposed to the normal M1 fingered type..is non reversible.. (it is held on with a helmet band... may have once been elasticated .. but it has long since lost its elasticity!!!!) has several stitched repairs where it had worn through in the usual M1 places!! and then was fitted the opposite way around so as to preserve the repair!!! (signs of wear fitted both ways round) this pattern was used by the Chile marines and it has some markings at the four sides.... two mirrored chevrons??? ...rank!!!?????(see pic)
I picked this one up on ebay, listed as KW era American!!!! and it was a roll of the dice which shell would be under the cover!! as the Chilean army used American M1, Austrian (which I was kinda hoping for !!) or best yet ex Bundeswehr M56 Zweitillage shells!!!!!!! so I actually got the lesser of the three ...but this example has some real character of its own!!! with all the repairs etc.... so I'm still very happy!!!!!
your opinions please guys!!
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