WW II American front seam fixed bail M1

[austromunga]

Hi all!!!
Won an auction on Austrian eBay for this M1 clone... for my Austrian helmet collection... or so it was listed!!!!
but this is what arrived in the post......
I think its a front seam, fixed bail, McChord shell with the heat stamp 123C (I had spotted the front seam in the pics though!!!)
which a rough guesstimation would make it a 1942 made example!!
The American army apparently left some 30,000 M1 Helmets in 1955 to help set up the new Bundesheer or Austrian army and I would guess this was one of them!!!
it came with a 1959 dated Austrian made type 1 liner (a copy of the U.S. one but with the insignia grommet on the side not the front) and the shell itself had no chinstraps (should be American stitched on WW II type I guess???) it has some surface rust, and a few age related rust bubbles, but generally its in very good solid order, and with no stress fractures... (a common fault with these early shells I hear!!!!)
so there it is .... now I need to track down an old American WW II chin strap.. Nos or perhaps a repro for display and to get it wearable again.. as its part of the History of the Austrian M1 clone it fits right into my collection!! .. but maybe Ill try to get hold of an original WW II liner.. so if needed I could convert it back to American army original!!????
your thoughts please!!!

[Harry Davey]

Looks pretty good to me, it looks as if it has WW2 period paint and some cork remaining on the outer shell.

Nice Find!!!

Harry

[greatwhite]

Looks good, the liner and chinstraps are available but normally at a price.

[austromunga]

A better pic showing "corking"

[austromunga]

Hi all
Went to a militaria fair at the weekend and picked up a WW II pacific camo helmet cover with camo veil/mozzie net.... just to dress it up a little for display..and until I get a pukka liner and chinstraps etc to finish it off!!!!!

[austromunga]

Hi all
An update still no luck finding a genuine WW II liner in fair condition and reasonable price!! Lol!! but I did come across an old WW II issue net and fitted it with the Korean war era liner and liner strap for display!!

[austromunga]

Hi all
picked up another item on the Bay....... listed as M1 "clone" post war helmet ...and guess what...once again i had spotted its actually yet another WW II fixed bail front seam!!! this one is also by McCord with the heat stamp 651D which makes it mid to late 1943
this one may well have been refinished/used by the dutch as it has had replacement chinstraps "riveted" on and its had its original paint/corking removed and been repainted in smooth green over red oxide primer, the liner is dutch too although the later plastic type.

[emileverbunt]

Not a Dutch reissue. The Dutch used a different colour and a very different "arrow head" buckle. Sometimes the Navy rivetted the strap on the helmet, but that is not common in NL.


Looks more like a Danish reissue, judging from the liner.

Cheers,
Emile