WW11 American M1 Helmet

WW11 American M1 Helmet

Solid condition M1 American helmet shell, front split, so good WW2,  has a couple of small dents to the top but no holes,

Still retains paintwork throughout, see photo’s. No liner or chinstrap, just a good shell.

The M1 came into service in 1941, and was a change from the Brodie of which was used by the USA in WW1.

WW11 American M1 Helmet

The M1 helmet is a combat helmet that was used by the U.S. military from World War II until 1985, when it was succeeded by the PASGT helmet. The M1 helmet has become an icon of the US military, with its design inspiring other militaries around the world.

In 1940, with World War II raging on in Europe and Asia, it seemed likely that the United States might soon be at war again. The Infantry Board resurrected the quest to find a better type of helmet, since the ongoing conflict had shown that the M1917, designed to protect men standing in trenches from falling shell splinters and shrapnel, would be inadequate on the modern battlefield. The board reported:

Research indicates that the ideal shaped helmet is one with a dome-shaped top and generally following the contour of the head, allowing sufficient uniform headspace for indentations, extending down in the front to cover the forehead without impairing necessary vision, extending down on the sides as far as possible without interfering with the use of the rifle or other weapons, extending down the back of the head as far as possible without permitting the back of the neck to push the helmet forward on the head when the wearer assumes the prone position, to have the frontal plate visor and to have the sides and rear slightly flanged outward to cause rain to clear the collar opening.