Took the Inland for a walk today

[Harlan (Deceased)]

USGI -

Your helmet appears to be one of the foreign copies of the US M-1. The plastic liner is definitely is one of the copies. There were several NATO countries that used copies of the M-1.

The US liners were made from different types of canvas impregnated with resin and most were then pressed onto a mold under high pressure. There were a few that used low pressure, but the same general method of putting strips of material over a mold. There were several manufactures working at the same time using different methods - Westinghouse was the largest maker through WWII and they kept making them alongside other companies all the way through Vietnam. There were different specs throughout the years for liners. Usually small changes ordered from the government. The different changes help ID helmets for collectors.

[USGI]

Harlan,

I knew I'd get a good honest answer from you on the helmet. Yes, the one I had from the 50's had alternate light and dark, brownish colored stripes that you could see from inside and a much neater looking head band assembly. My oldest brother put lieutenant bars on his, and was in "command" of our "outfit." I was just a buck private, but think I worked up to PFC somewhere along the line!

Charlie,

Yep, good old rigs! Ford stayed with 6V positive ground until the '56 models came out. Sorry to take this off topic, but it's nice to talk car trivia once in a while!

- Bob

[Harlan (Deceased)]

That was a GREAT old photo, BOB.

I've noticed that many people of our ilk, be it collecting guns or gear have been WWII nuts their entire lives. One difficult thing for myself personally is when I remember vintage items of all kinds I had when I was a kid that are long gone now and I don't know where they went to, or I trashed playing Army with them.

[USGI]

Harlan: Same here, I still have my folding shovel and my canteen, but the mess kit and everything else is long
gone - I have no idea where! I do still have the gun I "carried in the Army" back then, a 1954 version of the Daisy Model 25. - Bob

[DaveHH]

I had several 49-50 Fords, I remember I got a 39 Ford pig-nose pickup with a Merc engine. The Fords were 239s if I recall and the Mercs had a longer stroke and were 255 CI? I couldn't believe how much harder that Merc flathead pulled than the Ford. It was night and day. I was spoiled as my first automobile was a 49 Ford Business coupe with a 51 Olds overhead in it. It looked like a factory install with Halibrand starter changeover, dropped tie rod, Harrison radiator and 8V Pontiac battery. Ford Long truck clutch. Ran hard couldn't keep axles in it.

[USGI]

Yep, 49-53 Mercs were 255 CID and ranged from about 110-125 HP depending on the year. "Shoebox" Ford axles sometimes snapped easily even with flathead power. My brother had a '39 pickup that he traded an M-1 carbine for, believe it or not. It had the stock "85" in it. - Bob