Battle Damaged M-1

**NickD** · 12-17-2009, 09:05 PM

hiya guys

this came today a battle damaged M-1 i dont think the poor guy would have survived

its a McCORD made swivel bail helmet front seemed helmet with a heat stamp number of 1016

i knew what i was buying but it was only when i got it in my hands that it really got home to me how major this was & not really sure how to feel about it, its kind of humbling

**Adrian Stevenson** · 12-17-2009, 09:20 PM

Hi Nick, I think it is good at times to have an item in hand like this which does make one appreciate what war is truly about...

A good addition to your expanding collection.

Cheers, Ade.

**Panzer 3** · 12-17-2009, 09:23 PM

Hi Nick,
Very humbing indeed it isnt untill you actually hold an item with this damage that you can really appreciate how bad war is at times.
As for the relic it,s self you have a nice piece of history that needs to be protected and looked after. This is what i was trying to say to Seb, that it is ok to look at the picures of items, but it is different when you actually hold them in your hands, this is when it hits home.
Dave.

**NickD** · 12-17-2009, 09:29 PM

by Adrian Stevenson

Hi Nick, I think it is good at times to have an item in hand like this which does make one appreciate what war is truly about...

A good addition to your expanding collection.

Cheers, Ade.

cheers Ade

it is indeed thought provoking

**NickD** · 12-17-2009, 09:32 PM

by Panzer 3

Hi Nick,
Very humbing indeed it isnt untill you actually hold an item with this damage that you can really appreciate how bad war is at times.
As for the relic it,s self you have a nice piece of history that needs to be protected and looked after. This is what i was trying to say to Seb, that it is ok to look at the picures of items, but it is different when you actually hold them in your hands, this is when it hits home.
Dave.

thanks Dave

i did get a kinda weird feeling when i took it out of the box

but it has been pointed out to me on another forum that there is no way i can prove either way that this was being worn at the time of damage !!!

**Panzer 3** · 12-17-2009, 09:45 PM

Hi nick,
I agree what you are saying this can never be prooved but nine times out of ten the poor guy is wearing it. We have to make our own minds up on this type of thing, I have a M1 with mortar damage in the side and out the front, again no proof,.
but as it was found near Utah beach i made my own mind up.
your poor guy would,nt have known much going by the direction
of the round and the exit hole. I have been asked in the past why i collect such grusom items, but to me it isnt grusom at all it is just modern history. thats how we learn not to make the same mistakes again.

dave.

**NickD** · 12-17-2009, 09:58 PM

hiya Dave

that is indeed true mate & from the the entrance to the exit it looks like the shot might have been from up high maybe sniper but as you say cant be proven & all speculation ???????

the only line i would stop at in this area of collecting is blood stained dont think i would go that far that would be too much for me !!

**mauser98k** · 12-17-2009, 10:10 PM

Hi NickD
Another one for the collection, this time we can only think what that guy was going through when this happened.No matter how many war films and documentaries you watch nothing hits home like handling something like this.

Thanks Martin

**NickD** · 12-17-2009, 10:18 PM

cheers martin

was indeed a very sobering thought when i first took it out of the box a very weird feeling !!!

**Cannonman17** · 01-07-2010, 12:21 AM

I have to wonder how many battle damaged helmets were from battle. There had to be a good many laying around the ground that got beat up and shot too right? Maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel a bit better as I just picked up a German lid with a hole from the back that came out the front and my very first impression was something of "wow cool" followed shortly there after by "Holy &$%#". Then I tried to reason that it had probably just been laying around and shot up or perhaps even intentionaly shot to bring back as a seuvenier. Finally in the last stage of my reasoning I realized that it may very well be a piece of history bearing testimony to this poor guys last second on earth and that it really didn't matter either way. It is a silent witness of history and I think we have to treat it with respect. I guess what I'm saying is that you have one fantastic piece there and I'm glad you shared it with us!