M1 Helmet Identification, please help

**Spectrum Artz** · 08-18-2021, 03:48 AM

Hello all, I recently picked this up from my local antique shop but i'm not sure which era it is from and was hoping for some help. I couldn't locate any markings on the helmet nor the liner with the exception of a number of some kind which I tried to take the best possible picture of it as I could. I am also not sure what the marking on the outer liner is, and if anyone can identify it I would be much appreciative. I'm new to collecting helmets so if I missed something obvious any advice would be welcome!

**Spectrum Artz** · 08-19-2021, 10:49 PM

If the pictures are too poor in quality to see anything I would be more than willing to take higher quality photos in a better setting and lighting. I am still new to collecting militaria and posting on forums and I apologize for rookie mistakes. I hold high respect for this forum and don't want to come off as someone not serious.

**PaddyD00** · 08-20-2021, 01:33 AM

Hi Friend. The pictures are pretty bad. But from them it looks to be a heavily used / beat up WWII Front seam helmet that has been repainted multiple times. Regarding the decals they are probably post war applied. I don’t know what they mean. Square in the middle of the crown of the liner, there should be a stamp into the resin with some type of maker mark ( unless it is covered in dirt or dust). You can take closer high resolution pictures of the webbing inside the liner (there is not much left) and a closeup of the fabric chinstraps and the clips on the end if you want further verification.
Z

**PaddyD00** · 08-20-2021, 01:34 AM

And a closeup of the paint on the helmet as well. Looks like the WWII Cork has ceased to exist for awhile
Z

**BlackCat1982** · 08-20-2021, 11:27 AM

The number on the inside of the liner may be a laundry number or serial but I'm struggling to read it.

**Spectrum Artz** · 08-21-2021, 02:36 AM

Thank both of you for your feedback. I took some new photos as best as I could with a not so great camera so hopefully these help. I could not find a marker on the liner however. There is a lot of either rust/dirt on the crown so it's hard to tell without scratching it off. As for the number on the liner it, from what I see, is B87(or Z)4(or A or - )7. Thank you for helping me and bearing with my rookie mistakes.

**Rakkasan187** · 08-21-2021, 03:33 AM

The decal (sideways arrow) is for the 278th Regimental Combat Team. It has been reflagged several times and today the 278th RCT is the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

This was a Korean War era unit/hence the helmet is most likely a WW2 era helmet used during the 1950s.

Here is some information about the insignia.

The Volunteer State Guard Magazine Vol. 17, Issue 3 by Tennessee Guardsman - Issuu

The Horizontal bar on the back of the helmet liner is known as a "follow me" marker. During WW2 Non-Commissioned Officers had a horizontal stripe on the back of their helmet and this was used by Soldiers to "follow their leader" so to speak. Officers would have a vertical stripe on the backs of their helmets. These stripes helped identify leaders on the ground for the enlisted Soldiers to follow..

Best regards, stay safe

Smitty

**BlackCat1982** · 08-21-2021, 11:01 AM

The laundry number is read as being the initial letter of the owners surname, in this case B. This is followed by the last 4 digits of his serial number, this will be 8747. Unfortunately this combination brings up 97 possibilities of WW2 enlistments. Nice to get a Korean era unit decal on it.

**Spectrum Artz** · 08-22-2021, 03:07 AM

Thank you both! I would have never known any of this without your help. For future reference how would I tell if a helmet and liner is WW2 era or post war? Also how would I go about checking laundry numbers because I've never looked into laundry numbers before. Lastly does World War 2 era mean made during the war through 1950? I apologize for my silly questions but I want to be more prepared for the future so I can better tell the difference between an M1 from WW2 and Korea.

**Rakkasan187** · 08-22-2021, 05:47 PM

You have asked some great questions and if helmet collecting is an area of interest, there are some very informed and knowledgeable members here who specialize in M1 helmets who can also help you..

There are some really good reference books that fully describe the history of the M1 helmet that are worth investing in.

Here are some that are listed in our Forum Reference Library that some of us have. You can search for these books on Amazon, and other companies with the information we added, such as title of book, author and ISBN numbers..

The Western Allies - Helmets - US M1 Steel Helmet

In regards to looking up laundry numbers, there are several different ways to do this, but it is time consuming but the results can be rewarding if you can match the serial number to a name..

Here are two links that may help: The second link is a tutorial that I developed a while back to help individuals who were researching Soldiers get the information from records through the National Archives. This is also a very good way of getting information but I will tell you that since COVID the staff is limited and they are only working on expedient cases right now. A lot of research requests are pending and may take several months to get an answer. But again another way to get more information about the Soldier. The National Archives Record Administration or NARA also has records for Marines, Air Force, Navy and a wealth of other information.

Home | WWII US Army Enlistment Records

A Tutorial on how to search for US Service Members Records from the National Archives (NARA)

As always if you have a question don't be afraid to ask.. There are no silly questions here..

Best regards, stay safe

Smitty