Original U.S. WWII Relic M1 Fixed Bale Front Seam Helmet Shell with Khaki & Brass Chinstrap Purportedly Recovered Near Bastogne

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very unique example of a genuine WWII Front-Seam Fixed Bale M1 Helmet that was purportedly found near Bastogne, and we were given absolutely no provenance or paperwork to back this up. It certainly has the “look” and is in the correct early war configuration, but we cannot say for certain where this came from. The helmet’s interior and exterior are heavily oxidized as shown.

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’s heat stamp is too oxidized to read, but the fixed bales indicate an earlier production, roughly 1941-1943.

The earlier produced M-1 helmet shells had a set of fixed (static) chinstrap loops called "bales” and a stainless steel rim. These rims were both rust resistant and had "non-magnetic qualities'' that reduced the chance of error readings when placed around certain sensitive equipment (such as a compass).

This shell has a good look and will fit well into any collection. We were told it was found near Bastogne, but we were given absolutely zero provenance on that. We do know that it came from an extensive Airborne collection, however. Comes ready for further research and display.