WWII - VP PPCLI decal M1 Helmet????

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bnzmauser

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Interesting M1 WWII Helmet shell with a VP - PPCLI decal.

Here is what I know:

Front seam/fixed bail M1 Helmet with no batch number which means the shell was produced in WWII. Most Canadian units did not use the M1 helmet in WWII (exceptions "Black Devils" and I am sure others).

The inside of the shell is named 3x by the same person - Last Name, SN and something else. 2x engraved and 1x in ink.

The Shell appears to have original WWII paint.

The liner is WWII or early Post War - with no marker mark it is hard to tell, but it is well worn. Could be a replacement.

Does anyone have anymore info???






 
if you can accurately read the guys name and serial#, you can contact RHQ at 1 PPCLI in Edmonton. they should be able to trace the name and time of service if he served with the PPCLI, as they have a record of every PPCLI soldier who ever wore the hat badge.(i`m sure that there are a few exceptions).
might be a parade helmet, or one that someone stuck a decal on.
cool decal.
 
The Regtl Number shows this to be a post-WW2 soldier. The Army adopted the M1 helmet in the late 1950s. I was issued one with the fixed bale style style chinstrap in 1964. I recall the later style chinstrap coming into use a few yrs later. SIN numbers replaced our Regtl numbers after Unification in 1968.
 
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Not worn in the Korean war by a Canadian .I was there 51 ,52 and we almost never wore steel helmets. Most guys threw then overboard on the ship going to Korea
 
Post war liner and chinstrap. The M1 helmet was used by Canadian troops up until around 98 when the Kevlar helmet came into play. The pot is WWII, but nothing else is. The chinstrap is of post Vietnam vintage. I can't speak for the decal.

I've heard that Canada didn't make any M1 helmets, but instead would buy them from the US - and our friends to the south would sell us the old WWII junk. I myself have dug through old surplus helmet piles and have pulled out a bunch of front seamed and fixed bale pots. The fixed bales with original paint go on ebay for a pretty penny. I kept one (fixed bale) that had the old sewn in chinstrap from WWII that I put together to be a nice period helmet.

Here is a great site to learn about helmets and varients:
http://www.toppots.net
 
stoggie said:
Post war liner and chinstrap. The M1 helmet was used by Canadian troops up until around 98 when the Kevlar helmet came into play. The pot is WWII, but nothing else is. The chinstrap is of post Vietnam vintage. I can't speak for the decal.

I've heard that Canada didn't make any M1 helmets, but instead would buy them from the US - and our friends to the south would sell us the old WWII junk. I myself have dug through old surplus helmet piles and have pulled out a bunch of front seamed and fixed bale pots. The fixed bales with original paint go on ebay for a pretty penny. I kept one (fixed bale) that had the old sewn in chinstrap from WWII that I put together to be a nice period helmet.

Here is a great site to learn about helmets and varients:
http://www.toppots.net
Click to expand...

Not necessarily old junk. There are scholarly books on the US helmets in Canadian service. IIRC, the USGI helmets we were issued were purchased towards the end of WW2 for use in the Pacific, or maybe for NATO standardization in Europe (forget which). They weren't needed and were put into storage and eventually issued. They are sort of a time capsule snapshot of a particular production period, and not necessarily the oldest junkiest pieces available.
 
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