M1 M2 Fixed Bale Field Repaired Helmet Possible Airborne Artillery
Store > WW2 American Helmets > Airborne Helmets > Fixed Bale Field Repaired Helmet
This a genuine M1 or M2 WW2 helmet untouched by us other than protecting the outside with museum wax! The inside has been left 'as found'.
Summary of features:
- The shell is original WW2 fixed bale, front seam, stainless rim.
- There are some lovely stress fractures and original paintwork - untouched by us.
- The bales have been period repaired.
- The remains of one original bale is visible.
- There are white unit 'dots' on each side.
- There are no makers or heat number markings visible.
- Heavily rusted but solid, some of the paintwork has been scraped away.
This helmet came to us in a large batch of US Helmets we have absolutely no provenance other than we know it came direct from a USA scrap dealer.
We have just cleaned the outer shell and waxed it to preserve the outside. We have left the inside as found - but you can easily clean it up with a cloth and then wax it if you wish.
Look closely at the pictures of the bales - there is one bale foot remaining, it is difficult to tell if this was a M1 fixed bale or a M2 'D' bale. One thing for sure is that the repairs are almost certainly period and would reflect a heavily worn M2 as both bales are missing!
Also it looks like the paintwork has been scrapped off at the rear - possibly the removal of a ETO NCO 'stripe' - but this is just conjuncture - we have no proof of this!
Assuming the decals are genuine - then there is the possibility that this helmet was used by the 101st Airborne Divisional Artillery namely one of the following units: 321st GFAB, 377th PFAB, 907th GFAB or 463 PFAB. We repeat we have no provenance to confirm this!
Feel free to email us if you want more information or more detailed pictures.
