While it's not accurate for early war impressions, it's a quick fix until you're able to find the right helmet. You can even retro-fit the webbing with the proper khaki webbing in the future if you're inclined. Not acceptable are Vietnam-era helmets as the shape of the helmet is lower-profile and the webbing is strung in an asterisk pattern instead of having the loop at the crown. There's no fooling it, so don't bother with those types of helmets.
The shell is the second component. When shopping for a helmet, make sure the metal is in good condition with little dings or dents and especially no rust. Early war helmets have a lighter olive drab paint, later war helmets have a darker coat. The shell typically has a cork finish that gives it a rough texture, which is supposed to reduce sun glare. The more a helmet was used, the more this cork grain would get compressed and scuffed.
When shopping around, you'll hear reference to "the seam" of a helmet. Around the rim of the helmet was a stamped down a piece of stainless steel to protect against the sharp edge of the shell. This band would meet in the front of the helmet, leaving a seam. Because it was stainless steel, the paint would not adhere to it very well and would come off in the field. This is a signature WWII helmet look and often raises the value of the helmet. Much later in the war, the seam was met in the rear of the helmet and made of the same metal as the helmt, thus the paint lasts longer. This look finished out the war and continued in to Korea. This type is more common and thus are going to somewhat cheaper.
Another reference tossed around is "the bales." The bale is the loop of metal that the canvas chinstrap is sewn in to. Early in the war, the bales were fixed. However, that was changed since soldiers who would sit on their helmets when resting would snap them off. Manufacturers then made the shells with "swivel" bales. It's possible to find front-seamed, swivel bale helmets, but not rear-seamed, fixed bales (unless it was a quick repair job in the field). The chinstraps are machine-sewn in to these loops. If you see any with metal attachements or clips, this is incorrect for our impression.
The canvas chinstrap attached to the steel pot was meant to be worn, but G.I.s in combat learned that it is better to not wear the chinstrap should a blast occur nearby and want to yank the helmet off (possibly snapping your neck). Many left it unbuckled or stretched over the back of the helmet, while a few actually cut the straps off.
Helmet nets (as pictured on our sample helmet here) are something that is more common in and after 1943. The idea for the nets came from our British and Canadian allies, who used them on their helmets. Thus, a lot of the nets American soldiers initially used were of British manufacture or even improvised in the field by cutting up large vehicle camo netting. Some soldiers actually strung colored burlap to help with camouflage. By late-1944, the Army began issuing manufactured netting. The knots and sizes of holes thus vary from 1-inch to 1/8th inch. While indicative of front-line troops, having a helmet net is not necessary and it's frequency in photos is about 50/50.
You will need to get a helmet. Original WWII helmets are getting more expensive as time goes on and as the hobby expands. Those who know what they have tend to jack the prices up, and online auctions have escalated the bidding prices pretty quickly. While we encourage you to buy original WWII helmets and liners, we also know that it can be quite expensive to someone who doesn't have the time to do some hard searching off the beaten path.
|
