M1 Helmet..OT Captain?

[Harlan (Deceased)]

David is correct on the approximate value if it's authentic. That's including the WWII vintage liner. Vintage liners are becoming more rare than helmets.

Many soldiers painted over unit/rank markings before actually going into battle. There are many examples of helmets where just the markings were painted over.

[Garandrew]

Dave, theres a small white dab of paint on the inside rear of the shell.

[PhillipM]

I have often wondered about the symbols painted on helmets in WWII movies. I know that in my time of service it was forbidden to paint anything on my helmet except my serial number in white paint on the underside. (Division and rank decals went on the helmet liner, which would have been covered in combat.)

I can hardly believe that people painted their rank on the helmet, as one of the prime rules for snipers was to shoot officers and NCOs.

Jim

My father was in the 8th army medical corps in Korea. He said anyone wearing a red cross helmet in combat was killed first, the theory being it would take several medically untrained soldiers to replace one medic. Whether or not that's what the North Korean's and ChiCom's had on their minds is debatable, but that's what the feelings were of the medics under fire.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

That sounds terrible PhillipM, but I'm not surprised at all.

I don't know as much history of helmets used in Korea. Many M1 helmets used in Korea were WWII helmets, but by need, McCord Radiator Company began producing helmets again under contract by the military.
The design (shape) changed a little. All were rear seam. M1 helmets produced for the Korean War are easily identifiable by collectors.

Brief History of WWII Medical M1 Helmets (In my own words)

Early in WWII, US GI's noticed the German medics in North Africa painted red cross markings on their helmets, medical arm bands, and even white 'aprons' with a red cross tied over their uniforms. The US GI's respected the Germans as medics and didn't fire on them, and the American medics of the time began to paint Red Crosses on their helmets for the first time.

By the invasion of Sicily, many medics had painted red crosses on their helmets, and the Germans began to recognized the importance.

Stories have been told that German's didn't respect the red crosses on USGI medics, but by far it's not true!
There are more true stories where German's returned surrounded or captured medics from the field of combat back to their units.
By far, the Germans respected the red cross markings of the US medics.
This is why there are so many medic helmets that were painted with red crosses in the European Theater. Many, or most US medics had red crosses on their helmets painted by units or even by the medic alone.


The variations throughout WWII were varied to extreme because it was never recognized by the US Army as a standard practice, but most medics had their helmets painted themselves or they were painted by people in their divisions because they found the Germans respected the markings and even helped some medics get back to their side.

Below are just a very few markings found on authentic M1 helmets from WWII. Take note that all were hand painted and not uniform at all.
We all know Medic Helmets from watching movies, but none were 'perfect' roundels and crosses.





Medics in the Pacific began to paint red crosses on their helmets, but found the Japanese would fire on them first! The Japanese would fire on any GI with any marking first and most all soldiers in the pacific theater quickly did away with ANY markings on their helmets.
It was a different world fighting the Japanese, as they had no respect as far as chivalry in combat.

Sorry I bored anyone. The History of M1 Helmets tells a story of it's own.