My haul from this past weekend's militaria show

[burb1989]

Last weekend I attended our local militaria show that comes twice a year with my Vietnam items for a display. I looked around for any rifles of interest but sadly they just weren't there. All of the type 99 arisakas were mismatched and ground mums, save for one. Two walked in that were matching but the sellers were asking way too much ($600 for a mummed matching one but with a heavily sanded non refinished stock and $850 for one just like it missing all of the accessories and in a little worse shape) and the sellers wouldn't budge. Needless to say those rifles walked right back out the door. No mausers to be seen and only three enfields to be had but again too highly priced. Anyway I was buying some garand enbloc clips from a friend of mine when he had a helmet and liner on his table. It is missing both chin straps and the shell has some rust in it but the name and service number on the rim of the liner interested me the most. I struck up a deal with my friend to buy this helmet, twenty enbloc clips, and a few oilers for random rifles I already had for $60. After that I looked at the top of the liner and an army insignia was on it so that surprised me too. After I got back to my display I noticed a Vietnam era helmet on another seller's table. Once more it was also personalized by the soldier who used it in the war so I rushed over to the table to look at it. In all honesty it was truly the find of the day for me. The seller wasn't at the table so I waited with helmet in hand for 20 minutes before he showed back up. I was afraid to ask him for a price because I know these tend to be higher priced items since the personalized helmets are more sought after. He told me he wanted $85 for it. Needless to say I made a deal with him for $75 and I almost ran back to my display and I danced for joy. After such an incredible find the rest of the show went uneventful until near the end when I went to a table with random items on it and started to dig into it. Then on the bottom of the pile next to some Vietnam war survival knives was this ww2 marine corps mark 2 combat knife (I would say kabar but it wasn't manufactured by them). I asked the seller what he wanted for it and he told me $20. I couldn't get my money out fast enough when I bought it. I grinned from ear to ear as I walked back to the display and quietly put the knife in my bag. So all in all this show was a haul of smaller US militaria and I can't wait until October when it comes around again.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[burb1989]

Here's the first helmet I bought. It is a front seam swivel bale shell and has what I think is a ww2 liner in it. Both have been repainted for Korean war use but the gem of it is the name and service number, which I looked up and it is an Army service number post 1940 plus the liner has this insignia on top of it (not sure which unit or division it is).

[burb1989]

Here's my other helmet I bought. When I moved the cover aside I expected to find a rear seam helmet but again I was surprised. I discovered that this helmet had a front seam with swivel bales on it just like the other helmet. It was also repainted post ww2 and must've been in use through Vietnam. I also could read the heat lot number on it too. Me and one of my collector friends tried to see what the artwork on the front of the helmet cover was and after we moved it around it looks like three chevrons on top of a curved symbol (the soldier's rank?), which if it is his rank would the correct rank be a staff sergeant? Hope you all enjoy these pieces and any help and comments are much welcome.

(PS I posted the pictures of the mark 2 knife on the first post to save space)

[browningautorifle]

not sure which unit or division it is).

6th div. Probably an HQ of some nature.

[burb1989]

Thanks for the insight Jim. I've been trying to find out more about the soldier this helmet was issued to so any kind of clues help. I think I did ok on all of these items pricewise but I haven't extensively researched US militaria as to what the going value of these items would be.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

You did good on the prices you paid.

It's always fun to find 'smalls' like these at shows for decent prices. Lately it seems as though such items have dried up over the past year or so in the Dallas area.

If the webbing material is 'khaki' colored inside any M1 helmet liner it's WWII vintage. They changed the suspension webbing to 'Olive Drab' (Dark green) when they started making liners again in the early 50's for the Korean War. Many, or most of the outer shells used in the Korean War were WWII vintage, but liners didn't last as long as the shells.

A front seam swivel bale is mid WWII. The earliest M1 helmets (as I'm sure you know) had 'fixed bale' chinstrap loops and front seams. They soon changed to swivel bales because of the failure of so many fixed bale M1 helmet loops. Later in WWII they moved the joining seam to the rear of the shells and nobody has ever found a definitive answer why. Front seam helmets command much more with collectors. Helmet chin straps on WWII vintage M1 helmet shells were khaki until the very end of WWII and then they changed to OD green chinstraps, but these very late helmets didn't see much action if any. I have a brand new condition late WWII vintage helmet set with a new looking khaki liner and unused OD shell chinstraps. Not very valuable with M1 helmet collecting circles ($100), but it's unique to me because of it's condition.

[burb1989]

Thanks Harlan. I'm glad I did ok on these pieces. As to my Vietnam helmet is it common to find front seam helmet shells still used during vietnam? It's a first for me to find one used that late after ww2. Also the heat lot number,from what I could read, looks like 984J if that'll help date it.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Yes, WWII shells soldiered on all the way to Vietnam but most had later vintage liners. It's very difficult to see to the untrained eye, but WWII vintage shells are just a teeny different shape than the shells made during the Korean War and the same later shell was used for the Vietnam helmet shells. If you put a WWII shell and Korean War shell side by side you can see that the WWII shell is oh so slightly differently shaped at the top.

I actually have an early WWII fixed bale shell that was updated and used in Vietnam. Even the shell chinstraps have been upgraded to the Vietnam era straps. The Vietnam era liner doesn't really fit well inside the older WWII frame, but I guess it sufficed well enough to be functional.

~ Harlan

[burb1989]

I guess so. I know that's how it was with the marine corps arsenal during that time. My dad had a mix of ww2, Korean, and few newer made gear. He had a ww2 canteen, etool folding shovel, and even his 1911 was from ww2.