m1 & m2 info please

**plumbob** · 02-04-2011, 08:24 PM

m1 & m2 info please
Hi guys. Ive just joined this forum cause it looks like you guys know your stuff and was wondering if someone can help me please?

I can not call myself a collector as i only have a few items so far, but i find it really intresting.
I have just aquired 2 helmets from the same guy late last year and I have done a bit of research on them but theres only so much you can learn from the net.

They were sold to me as just ww2 helmets. They appear to have been together for a long time as both of them had red paint on them and swastikers written in pencil on the sides of the liners.

The first appears to be a front seam fixed bail m1 with a mine safety appliance liner heat stamp number 544A.

The second is very interesting as it appears to be a front seam dbale with both its bales intact and its chin straps, heatstamp number 102C. There is black numbers inside the pot 32736. Unfortunatly it came with a westinghouse m1 liner which is great itself but not a para. There are no decals on any of them either.

My questions are if you don't mind:
1. Where in my area can i take them to be authenticated ( Scotland)
2. Could anybody date the heat stamps please?
3. Do the black numbers mean anything to anybody?
4. Roughly how many m2 helmets still exist or is that a daft question?
5. Is it common for m2s not to have decals?
6. If they are real should i include them on my house insurance?

Im not very good with computers and if you want I will try again to put some pictures on. I tried twice last night and failed and Im still typing with one finger (haha). I will check this thread at nights after my kids are in bed.

Thanks again all

**plumbob** · 02-06-2011, 11:37 PM

Any help or comments what so ever are welcome guys especialy from someone who owns a m2 helmet.
I bought these helmets for peanuts. I took a gamble when i saw them, they could have been any m1s from any era or country, so you can imagine my surprise when the postman brought these.

**NickD** · 02-07-2011, 08:31 AM

unfortunately M-2s are very rare & can go for a lot of money there for they're highly faked you'll be hard pushed to find someone here that can help you authenticate your M-2 for you your best bet is to check out this forum U.S. Militaria Forum theres a few collectors there that have real M-2s & quite a few that would be able to help to give you an answer that you are looking for.

**plumbob** · 02-07-2011, 11:15 PM

Thanks very much NickD for your reply.
i knew they were rare but didn,t realise they could be that rare. Thanks for the advice i might do that but i know it will be a tough call without hands on inspection thats why i was hopeing for someone local to inspect it, now i know that looks slim.
Short of getting it cabon dated or something it might always remain a mistery.
Thanks again
regards ROD

**NickD** · 02-08-2011, 08:31 AM

they can be authenticated by the way the bails look how they're attached what they're made of & if they're the right thickness that's why i suggested that other forum as here's a thread on M-2 helmets Original C loops - U.S. Militaria Forum & from these yours looks to be a good one but as Ive never even seen a real M-2 in person let alone handled one i cant really confirm that.

you're very lucky to have one of these as they're so rare & so sort after that collectors pay alot of money for them with or with out any markings.

**plumbob** · 02-08-2011, 11:44 PM

Me lucky that would be a first, that thread was very intresting thanks! It does look good .
I will give it another week or so on here then i might try it over there. I am not looking to sell it ,i just want to gather as much imformation as possable i don,t want my kids selling it for peanuts if its real when im gone . anyways i think there great, im sure when you guys get a new item you find out as much about them that you can its part of the hobby is,t it.
its a pity there are as many fakes out there of just about everthing military its like walking a minefield. Which is why i joined this form
thanks again NickD you,ve been a great help. watch out for it over there and see them bring me back to earth.

**NickD** · 02-09-2011, 09:01 AM

by the way the heat stamp of 102c puts the manufacture of that shell around about April 1942 & the 544a one is around June 1943.

**NCA** · 02-10-2011, 07:18 PM

Cant say for sure but the D-bale looks good to me..A rare Unmarked type!!

The black numbers written inside could the soldiers service number?

Nick, do you have a link to info on heatstamp numbers?(sorry for the hi-jack)

**NickD** · 02-10-2011, 08:44 PM

hiya NCA

the heat stamp info is in the book HELMETS OF THE ETO there is a chart that uses these numbers as a way of giving a rough date of manufacture.

**plumbob** · 02-10-2011, 11:55 PM

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys .
I know i,ve not been coned because of how cheap i got it .
As for the numbers at first i thought it was an auction number or something from sometime , but now im not to sure, its been on their a long time when you run your fingers across they feel slightly raised not like ink. Is it not to short to be a service number. Mabie the usa guys will help me with that one.
Its no wonder the dbails broke of easy they are only about 1.5mm thick where they met the weld I just thought you would like to know that. I better stop my kids playing with it now ha ha.
Thanks for the heatstamp imfo NickD i thought the A stamp would have been before the C stamp i wouldn,t have known that.