Original U.S. WWII Rear Seam Swivel Bale McCord M1 Helmet with Reworked Inland Paratrooper Liner

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a heavily-worn example of a late WWII Rear seam, swivel bale M1 helmet with a very scarce Inland Paratrooper liner. From its construction, it appears to be a reworked Inland paratrooper liner, still very rare.

This WWII M1 Helmet was made by McCord Radiator, fitted with a “Jump” liner by Inland. The U.S. WWII M-1 helmet was only produced from 1941 to 1945. The first production batch resulted with over 323,510 M-1 helmets before the start of the American involvement in the war. This helmet is heat lot stamped 1196A which indicates a very late manufacture date.

The Ordnance Department selected McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan to produce the steel M1 helmet bodies. These bodies were made from a single piece of Hadfield Manganese steel that was produced by the Carnegie-Illinois & Sharon Steel Corporations. Each completed raw M-1 helmet shell weighed 2.25 lbs each.

This helmet is a fine example and still retains many of its original WWII parts and the shell has all original "corked" grain paint with rear seam and swivel bails. The chin strap is early khaki with stamped brass hardware. The chinstrap also has the M1-C additions which snap into the liner, but we aren’t sure if it’s original to the helmet. Also, one of these two “snaps” are gone, ripped away from the strap. The helmet does have some denting and wear to the paint, and the stainless steel rim has the usual paint loss. There is a name and serial number on the interior shell, T/SGT ROBERT E. ROACHE / 692268…, a good research project. 

The correct "high pressure" style M-1 Helmet liner was manufactured in Dayton, Ohio by the Inland Manufacturing Division, as indicated by the embossed INLAND logo inside the crown. It is also marked with mold number 15, very early. This company started M-1 helmet liner delivery to the US Army in September 1942. They produced approximately 1,900,000 M-1 helmet liners and converted about 75,000 liners to airborne configuration. Inland Manufacturing discontinued M-1 helmet liner production in 1943 when their manufacturing services were deemed better used elsewhere.

The correct "high pressure" style M-1 Helmet liner was manufactured in Dayton, Ohio by the Inland Manufacturing Division, as indicated by the embossed INLAND logo inside the crown. It is also marked with mold number 21, quite early. This company started M-1 helmet liner delivery to the US Army in September 1942. They produced approximately 1,900,000 M-1 helmet liners and converted about 75,000 liners to airborne configuration. Inland Manufacturing discontinued M-1 helmet liner production in 1943 when their manufacturing services were deemed better used elsewhere.

The liner retains its suspensions but appears to have been reworked, and the sweatband is entirely absent. The two chinstrap pieces and buckles are retained, but there is no canvas or leather chin-cup. Still a very rare liner to find!

A good example with a rare liner, ready for further research and display.