M1 helmet identification

[winchester30]

Hi
i have just recovered this helmet from my parents loft. it was bought from a gun shop in Derbyshire by my uncle in around 1983. i remember noticing the paint flaking off on the liner and decided to uncover the decals that lay beneath. i remember there was a yellow decal on the front but it peeled off when i chipped the top layer of paint off. i was of course a young kid so i cant take the blame for being reckless. i remember that my uncle mentioned that it had come from the Falklands and had been used by the Argentinians. there's a date sticker inside the liner 195???
there's also a few names drawn in the liner, i presume they are the previous owners. anyway can anyone help to identify the correct age, country war??? etc.. if you need any more images let me know.

[SteveR]

The white circle with the double D's are the divisional insignia of the 31st Infantry division. The liner is made by Westinghouse. As you pointed out 195- something.
If the helmet came from the Falklands via the Argentine army it was probably military surplus that was purchased from the US.
As far as I know the Argentinians are still pissed at the US for letting GB use some military bases we traded Britian for in WWII as staging points for the retaking of the Falklands.
SteveR

[Patgore]

The St.Andrew's Cross badge is 200th Regt. Alabama National Guard.

Cheers.

Pat

The white circle with the double D's are the divisional insignia of the 31st Infantry division. The liner is made by Westinghouse. As you pointed out 195- something.
If the helmet came from the Falklands via the Argentine army it was probably military surplus that was purchased from the US.
As far as I know the Argentinians are still pissed at the US for letting GB use some military bases we traded Britian for in WWII as staging points for the retaking of the Falklands.
SteveR

[NickD]

you have a very nice 1950's Korean war era US M-1 helmet that's been sold off as surplus to another country.

[winchester30]

Cheers for the info guys, you have me hooked

so would this helmet possibly have seen action? would anyone know where this regiment would have been deployed to.

[Patgore]

From the information quoted below, I'd say that the 200th Regiment (31st Div.) was in federal service at various times when this helmet might have been in use, but was not deployed (in combat).

If the Argentine Army acquired it, they would certainly have painted over the US insignia. Otherwise I can't speak to its use in the Falklands.

I hope this helps,

Pat


"Federally reorganized 19 April 1922 in the Alabama National Guard at Mobile as Headquarters Company, 39th Division.

Redesignated 1 July 1923, as Headquarters Company, 31st Division. Inactivated 21 December 1945, at Camp Stoneman, California. Federally recognized 2 December 1946 at Mobile as Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 200th Inf, as element of the 31st Infantry Division. Ordered into service active service 16 January 1951 at Mobile as the Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 200th Infantry (NGUS), organized and Federally organized 24 a March 1953 at Mobile. Released 15 June 1954 from active Federal Service and reverted to state control. Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 200th Infantry (NGUS). Converted and redesignated 2 May 1959 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 161st Medical Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 31st Infantry Division. Ordered into active Federal Service 11 June 1963 at Mobile: released 16 June 1963 from active Federal Service and reverted to state control. Ordered into Federal Service 10 September1963 at Mobile; released 12 September 1963 from active Federal Service and reverted to state control."

Cheers for the info guys, you have me hooked

so would this helmet possibly have seen action? would anyone know where this regiment would have been deployed to.

[winchester30]

Great stuff cheers for the info Pat.

i take it this type of helmet with decals is fairly common place in the US. i'd love to know who owned it but probably never will. anyway cheers for the info.

[Patgore]

Not common (genuine stuff, I mean).

Unless there's a service/regimental number or good provenance, or some special circumstance, very hard to trace the original owner, or subsequent owners (two-year draft meant that stuff did get recycled, and an M-1 might have had a dozen owners in its lifetime).

Cheers,

Pat

[winchester30]

Cheers Pat

i kind of like the idea that its been used loads of times, i remember having loads of military stuff given to me as a kid but somehow it all seems to vanish as you get older, and skinter..lol

thanks for the info.