Hey Guys!

Well, I bought my first WWII Item today!! Its not pretty or anything special, as it has seen a lot of hard use but it is original WWII! Now I have all the reference I need to make a good representation of the M1 helmet.

If you need any M1 reference, let me know

Tomorrow I'll be buying an original M-43 Field Jacket. Wonder what else I might end up with before it is all said and done.

I'd be VERY careful if I were you. The militaria market is flooded with fake "authentic" WWII items. There are many who do a wonderful job of distressing items and then sell them off as "authentic WWII pieces."

Looks cool,Anders Did it cost you alot of money ? I agree with Pete,there are alot of guys out to make a quick buck in the militaria market.As the Chinese say,think 4 times before you part with your hard-earned cash (with apologies to the original author)Cheers.
Kenneth

Anders, no better reference than having the real thing, how about some field equipment, then I know where to come for the dimensions

Hola Guys!

Yeah I am aware that there are a lot of fake stuff out there. Thats the worst thing about starting, you don't really know whats what.

This helmet has 1) the seam on the front of the helmet 2) the straps are sewn on the strap holers, which are the swivel kind (late war) with whats looking like original stitching. I know that the liner isnt WWII but from the Korea period. But if it is identical I don't really care if it is original or not, atleast as long as I dont drop a fortune on it.

I really didnt spend a whole lot on this helmet, its in really rough shape and of little value to the "collectors" who wants everything prestine.

Leigh,

Thats the main reason that I got this helmet! You can't beat the real thing for reference. I also kind of have a fetish for helmets Gotta love 'em!

Hi Anders!

Welcome to the exciting world of collecting militaria! I have been collecting militaria since I was a kid and have always found it useful to have original pieces as an aid to painting and modelling military miniatures. But to echo comments made by others, "BE CAREFUL!" Collecting militaria is becoming popular, especially among the reinacting community and a lot of producers are springing up to make reproductions of original equipment and uniforms. Judging from your helmets chinstrap and swivel bale, the helmet may be of very late WWII, Korean War or post WWII/Korea vintage. Also, regarding the M-43 field jacket, be careful what you are buying. After the Second World War many countries utilized U.S. patterns and designs to produce their own uniforms, equipment and material. I believe the Norwegins or Swedes produced a field jacket very similar to the M-43, infact almost identical. Always look for tags showing manufactures, dates of manufacturing and make sure the tags are in english. If tags are not present, look at the piece with skeptism and contact some one you trust to give you an opinion. The foreign made jackets have been sold by surplus retailers and used by reinactors to represent a WWII G.I. Once these jackets have been weathered and tags removed it becomes hard to distinguish between original USGI or fake if you don't know what to look for. You will find the more original pieces you collect the more you will be able to recognize real from fake and you will develope a sense for sellers or dealers you can trust. Also regarding the helmet. What kind of condition is the liner? What color is the webbing suspension and are all of the liner components present (nape strap, web/leather crown and liner chinstrap)? What color is the liner painted and does it have a smooth surface or a "sandy" surface? All of these questions will help to narrow down the vintage of the helmet.

Good luck collecting!

Dave Neary

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the heads up! The liner is painted smooth black, and the webbing is green and not leather. There is the strap on the outside, then the adjustable strap inside of that and the strap acrosst the back to hold it in place on the head. Here is a pic! Maybe you can help

As for the M-43, what markings and where should I look for them at?

Here is the hardware on the strap. Maybe you can tell something from it.

Hi Anders!

I've been trying to reply to you but I keep getting locked up or rebooted. Your helmet is definately not WWII. It is however 1950's vintage. WWII M-1 helemts had a khaki colored (o.d. #3) chinstrap with a similar but different clasp. The liner is also of the same vintage. I could see by your photos that the interior suspension is green in color, WWII suspension webbing was also khaki in color. The sweat band that is held to the suspension by clips should be cotton web with leather stitched to it not just a piece of webbing. WWII liners were painted o.d. similar the to outer shell and had a smooth matte finish. If you come across a liner with a "sandy" finish, it would be much later vintage (pre-Vietnam to the 1980's). I hope you didn't pay too much for the helmet thinking it to be WWII vintage. Oh yeah the field jacket. WWII militaria collecting is getting popular especially among the reenactor community. Producers of reproduction uniforms and equipment are springing up and are producing pieces that are fairly accurate. Once worn and weathered pieces reproduced look original. Also, after the Second World War many countries produced uniforms, equipment and material using the same patterns and design as U.S. items. I believe that the Norwegins or Swedes produced field jackets similar the M-43 (almost identical infact). Again, once worn and the tags removed these jackets are hard to distinguish from originals. Original M-43 field jackets have a tag on the back inside panel below the neck. Also, look in all of the pockets for additional tags and under the interior wind flap.

Good luck!

Dave Neary

Hola Dave!

Yeah I knew the liner wasnt WWII, and apperantly the shell isnt either! Well its ok, I didnt pay very much for it. I love the M1 helmets and I am sure I will buy a lot more of them in the future. Thanks for your time and I am sure that I will ask you more in the future