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Belgian / US? M1 helmet and cover

Article about: Hi and apologies, I'm sure I'm not the first to ask nor will I be the last. I've had this helmet for 30+ years. Bought it thinking it was American. Guessed the Belgian flag meant it wasn't.

  1. #1
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    Default Belgian / US? M1 helmet and cover

    Hi and apologies, I'm sure I'm not the first to ask nor will I be the last. I've had this helmet for 30+ years. Bought it thinking it was American. Guessed the Belgian flag meant it wasn't. Shell dated 1952 but plastic liner curiously has a '44 - is that a wartime liner? And the cover looks more like US Vietnam cover than it does Belgian models I've seen online. Is it a hybrid or is it just typical Belgian 1950s helmet? Can anyone identify and help?

    Belgian / US? M1 helmet and cover
    Belgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and coverBelgian / US? M1 helmet and cover
    Last edited by pags; 09-28-2020 at 10:40 PM. Reason: Photos didn't attach

  2. #2

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    Most likely a Frankensteined helmet.. I like the super salty cover. Try finding a period M1 Helmet from the US that you can put it on. As for the helmet itself? I'm gonna assume both the shell and liner are post war Belgian, mainly because the 44 on the liner isn't a manufacture date as far as I am aware. Wait for better opinions on it, though, as I don't know much about Euroclone M1s

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    I agree liner and cover are US but I believe the helmet is European. It should display well.

    Marty
    Fortune favors the brave 644th td

  4. #4
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    Hi
    As confirmed before liner is American, the yellow numbers 44 are typical of a Firestone P64 liner manufactured from 1964 onwards. If you lift up the interior webbing on the inside in the area of the crown you should see a cross and within sections of the cross a capital F then US a number for example 137 and then another separate number probably 64.
    There is usually several manufacturing codes printed on the headband webbing on the left of the liner if you had it on your head which would have a date however they’re probably faded in your liner and would be difficult to read.
    Cover wise (US manufactured) just to the right of DSA100 I think I can make out 69C (could be 68C) which means the cover was made from 1969 onwards.
    Outer shell, as the guys mentioned before most likely Belgium. Are they any numbers stamped into the inside rim of the shell, or on any other place on the inside of the helmet? If the chinstrap loops had been present that would have also been another way we could have identified it as a Euro clone but going by the pictures they appear to be missing.
    Hope this helps
    Chris

  5. #5
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    Thanks all. Interesting. Yes, it's a '69C' so 1969 and American cover. Vietnam era. Great. Good to know '44' isn't 1944 but a makers mark. 1960s date in line with cover. No more marks, sadly. I discovered a label on the underside of the straps in the liner but it's long rubbed clean, as are the inner straps. Nothing beyond what I've posted in photos. The lid is UMAL and 1952 - not sure why that photo didn't make it. I'll post again if I can. But I've seen reference to that being Belgian. Weird hybrid then?Belgian / US? M1 helmet and cover

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