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SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

Article about: This was an interesting find. Visited a local antique co-op. Saw this helmet in a display case, and asked the fella running the place if I could take a look at it. It had a Woodland cover, b

  1. #1
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    Default SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    This was an interesting find. Visited a local antique co-op. Saw this helmet in a display case, and asked the fella running the place if I could take a look at it. It had a Woodland cover, but I could see the sewn OD3 chinstraps.

    Turned it over, and found a very good condition 1967 contract dated para liner, with a 1976 contract headband.

    Took the liner out, and the cover off to inspect the shell.....masking tape...Named to a Captain Bird. Underneath was the faint hint of something written in blue stencil.

    No price tag on the helmet, or the shelf where it came from. Asked the owner of the place if he needed to contact the seller to get a price. He said, "No. I haven't opened this case in 3 months, and the guy who rents this booth hasn't been here in 8 months. How's $20 sound?". Sounds good to me!

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

  2. #2
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    Got the helmet home, and decided to remove the masking tape. Had to know what that stencil read. Hair dryer, and 10 minutes of delicately removing the tape, and stencil uncovered....SPOOK? Written on both sides.

    Unsure of it's meaning. Thinking possibly war games related. Could also be a nickname as some have suggested. No other indicators on the shell or liner (entirely possible this was pieced together, of course).

    All in all, pretty nice helmet....certainly a conversation piece. Any suggestions as to the meaning of SPOOK are welcomed!

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

  3. #3
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    The liner

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

  4. #4

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    I am not familiar with the term but perhaps it is related to the ASA or Army Security Agency. Here is an insignia I located. Don't know if it is official or not.

    SPOOK Stencil - Rear Seam, Swivel Loop M1

  5. #5
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    the 'Spook' seems to be ASA's mascotte of some sort and the colours on the stencil and the logo match up nicely as well. Good guess.

  6. #6
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    Thanks. My initial thought seeing the stencil was Intelligence (or even CIA), as they were regularly referred to as spooks. Not sure that someone would want to easily identify themselves as so. Or if they were Intelligence, then this was a nickname given to them. Unless I can find another example, I may never know, but the colors do match.

  7. #7

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    Hmmm, I'm not an M1 expert but it does seem a bit of a mixed bag. Late woodland cover, fair enough, the steel pot was still around with these. OD3 sewn straps (non para) on a rear seam pot and OD7 Y straps on the liner, all a bit confusing but all apparently original parts so worth $20 all day long I feel.
    As for the name "Spook" who knows but probably a nickname or just a spurious marking I reckon.
    An intriguing and worthwhile bargain whatever its' origin.

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  8. #8

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    First off, who knows if the liner and the helmet are a matched set.
    I think what is cool about the helmet is the "SPOOK" stencil.
    My Father was actually in the ASA stationed in Korea in the late 1950s.
    This helmet looks like it would have been worn during the Korean War or shortly thereafter.
    It could have been worn as late as the Vietnam war also.
    So the liner could be original to the shell.
    I doubt the cover is original to the shell IMHO.
    I like it, Nice Find Eric!

  9. #9
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    The camo cover is not U. S. Looks like denim material. Any markings inside the cover?

  10. #10
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    Thanks, all, and sorry for the late reply (only been a year). I don't come on here often, and for some reason, I don't receive any email notifications for response post.

    No markings on the camo cover, and agree, seems a bit off. I actually tossed it to the side as doesn't appear to be original to the helmet as Mark (Anton67) mentioned.

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