WWII - Era M1 Helmet Helmet And Shell

Listed is a WWII M1 Helmet:  WWII M1 helmet shell was made of manganese steel coated in cork aggregate and dark olive drab paint. Combination gave the helmet a dark, coarse, appearance and texture as shown on this helmet.  WWII helmets had a stamp on the lower inside front of the helmet where the helmet flares out to the rim. The alpha/numerical stamp on this helmet has been worn away and is not visible.In 1944, an attempt to fix the problem of excessive shine of th...e rim’s exposed metal was made by changing the rim material to manganese steel. At that time, the seam moved to center rear edge of the helmet as shown in the photo for the helmet posted.  (1941-1943 had front seams.)The "bails" or swivel loop was adopted in 1942 as shown on this helmet.  The darker olive drab straps began at the end of 1943.  Along with the blackened steel stamped buckle with the steel end cap to save on brass.  The insignia on the shell is from the Fourth United States Army who were responsible for the defense of the West Coast and training tactical units to operate efficiently in the war.The shell appears to have had covering of some type.  It has not been touched up as the insignia stickers have the same wrinkles/wear.  The names on the interior of the helmet and shell are not the same. No further information available.    


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