I returned to work following a two-week bout with covid, and was be greeted by a coworker with a welcome-back gift - this handsome M1 which belonged to his childhood neighbor.
With a few notable exceptions (Lebannon and the earliest glimmers of Vietnam) the army of the mid to late-1950s was often called a "peacetime army". The hot war of Korea was a memory and Vietnam lay ahead. The public consciousness of the US Army was provided, in a large part, by popular entertainment. Elvis was being utilized as the poster-boy of the Army, Phil Silvers captured audiences as Sargeant Bilko, and even Barney Fife was seen wearing an M1 liner.
Barney Fife
Elvis
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Sergeant Bilko
From 1951 to 1958 many changes and modifications to the venerable M1 took place. in 1951 production was resumed on the helmet shell as well as modifications to the liner. Certainly much, if not most of the helmets of that period were from WWII, including much mixing and matching of older liners with newer helmets, and older helmets with newer liners. It was a period of great transition that even saw the retirement of the venerable M1 Garand rifle.
This new generation of headgear was seen on maneuvers, and at places like Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin and the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas.
Let's take a walk-around.
All familiar ground here, but our closer look will reveal several upgrades and improvements
As with its WWII progenitor, the shell was made of Hadefield steel and it still retained the leather chinstrap for the liner.
The rear-seam of the post WWII shell is visible here; do note though, that some numbers of rear-seams did see service during the war.
A big improvement was the T1 chinstrap. Unlike the sewn-on straps of the WWII version, the T1 could be easily replaced in the field.
Here's a mix of old and new. The lighter #3 Olive drab suspension indicates that the liner is from WWII while the darker #7 green headband and neckband indicate that this liner was modified in the 1950s.
The neckband is dated 1956.
The headband is dated 1958 (lower right).
Here's a nice contrast between the color as well as the weave of the suspension components.
The distinctive double herring-bone weave of the #3 OD webbing from WWII.
The hardware of the T1 chinstrap affixed to the swivel-bail.
The spring-clips that retain the headband are unchanged from WWII. It is interesting to note that this design of clip was used in the helmets of many other countries throughout the post-war era and even into the 21st century.
The helmet belonged to Irving Eisenstadt of Astoria, Queens (New York), and it appears that he began printing his name on the suspension...one can only imagine what had interrupted his efforts in this direction.
Generally, during WWII, the hardware on the helmet and liner was brass finished in green. Following the war the fittings were finished in black. United Carr Company of Cambridge MA produced the hollow rivet on the liner chinstrap.
The WWII iteration of the M1 was textured with cork; beginning in 1951 the M1 was produced with fine sand as the non-reflective texture.
The cam buckle, green in WWII, is blackened brass after 1951 production began.
The garter-clip fastening system is the same as the WWII version.
The chinstrap fastener is a ball-and-clevis quick-release. designed both for ease of use as well as protection from concussion-injuries caused by nearby explosions. With this improvement, it was hoped that GIs would be more likely to use the chinstrap...based upon period photos, they seldom did.
The little anchor is a manufacture's-mark - North and Judd of New Britain CT. Often collectors misinterpret this mark as indication of naval service.
The hook end of the chinstrap.
Here are the two side fastened, with the ball inserted into the spring clevis.
Now, let us look at the liner.
The darker green is typical of a refurbished liner from WWII.
Firestone was the manufacture of this particular liner.
The insignia grommet would disappear in the 1964 iteration of the liner.
Something appears to have been painted beneath the current coat of paint.
This handsome helmet, with further modifications, soldiered on well into the 1980s...truly a classic which symbolized the American GI for two generations.
Much of the information in this post comes from Mark Reynosa's superb book on post-war M1 helmets. Any mistakes or misinformation is the fault of myself and not Mark. Mark Reynosa is, in my estimation, the gold standard for helmet research books. He uses (and cites) copious amounts of primary source materials, he makes no unsubstantiated claims and keeps his opinions to a minimum. In all of his books on the M1 he provides sources, citations, and bibliography. Other authors would do well to follow his example. I cannot recommend Mark's books highly enough.
See you next time with another cool helmet from the collection.
Mannie