McCord Front Seam Fixed Bail

[Mark K]

I add this M-1 to my collection a couple of years back it would appear to be in un-issued and or slightly used condition  the helmet body was produced by McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan there are a few tells to help with dating the shell It is a fixed bail front seam these were only produced from 1941-1943...It is sporting the earlier shortened OD # 3 chinstrap that is not quite long enough to fit around the rear rim of the shell and a nice early raised brass buckle there are three small stress cracks which have not broken through and are only evident on the rear exterior of the shell the heat stamp is quite easy to read and it is marked 364 A as found on the inside rim so manufactured approximately November, December 1942...It has a nice minty War time issued CAPAC liner that is near a perfect match for size and condition it is sporting mid war green head band with blackened steel A washers the leather chinstrap is a late war variant with black painted hardware and is so marked United Carr on the buckle.

Regards Mark

 

Edited April 11, 2016 by Mark K

[Mav352]

Beautiful M1 @Mark K. 

[DAK D]

Hi @Mark K,

That is a great example of a fixed bale M1 and it is in super condition.

D

[Mark K]

Many thanx @Mav352 and @DAK D There is another reason that this M-1 caught my attention it was a Canadian purchase and the heat stamp falls right in the middle of known examples with Canadian provanance which indicates that there is a good chance that this was one of the 200,000 M-1's that were sold to Canada in the early years of WW II.. a brief back ground on the 200,000 M-1's that were procured by Canada and arrived at NDHQ In April of 1943 which subsequently 50,000 of these M-1's were sent to Edmonton and Vancouver in June 1943 to equip Pacific Command aswell as of course, 13 Brigade which landed on Kiska in the Aleutian Islands ,
And and additional un-disclosed number used by the 18th Brigade here in Canada and abroad and reportedly a further 30,000 going to Wingate's Chindits in Burma in 1945 ( some further information has come to light that an additional 70,000 had indeed been issued out to Canadian troops during the latter part of the war but as this information is not mine and as far as I know has not been made public as of yet so for the time being I am reluctant to go into anymore details ) . 
It is thought at the end of the war 20,000 US M-1 helmets that were procured by Canada still sat un-issued in Canadian Army Depots .
Now this brings us to the meat of the discussion I had posted my own M-1 front seam fixed bail McCord ( which by the way was a Canadian purchase ) to another venue for discussion the heat stamp number is 364A which would put the production date to approximately November,December 1942 .
It was brought to my attention that the heat stamp number on my example falls into the range of known Canadian examples with provenance.
I would like to thank Roger Lucy for allowing me to share the information as seen below and in doing so I shared this information on an unrelated thread on the Canadian Military Collectors Forum and was pleased to be able to add two more examples with provenance to the list of known originals I thought some of you gents might find the particulars on the heat stamps interesting and useful. 

The first named example resides in the collection of Roger Lucy and was issued to a Capt Elder's who was stationed in Nanaimo BC, in 1943 with service number and heat stamp of 278A this helmet has a Hawley liner .
Other Canadian provenanced M1s have the following heat stamps
268A has a St Clair Liner and is named to a soldier of the Brockville Rifles
270D Hood Rubber liner has a postwar Western Command Service Number
278A MSA liner has a postwar Central Ontario Command Service Number
278 has a bi-coloured net and a postwar Western Ontario Command Service Number
282A. The liner is a Westinghouse. The leather chinstrap on the liner has the service number K601525 written on it - this corresponds to a member of No. 110 BTC in the Reserve Force MD 11.
283A complete with a Hawley liner and adorned with a Canadian flag and the word CANADA painted on the front. 
327D also a St Clair Liner 
363B Inland liner, post-war Canadian paint job and an early Mk.II chin-strap
363C has a Hawley liner
367 Regimental Police paint job postwar Central Command Service Number

Regards Mark

[DAK D]

Hi @Mark K,

That is great information and that makes your M1 even more interesting

D

[Mav352]

Very interesting info @Mark K thanks for posting 

[Manu Della Valle]

On 12/4/2016 at 12:57, DAK D said:

Hi @Mark K,

That is great information and that makes your M1 even more interesting

D

I 10000000000000000000000000000% agree and as a Canadian I'm very fascinated each time I read something like that!
My father used to smoke cigarettes but I don't know what he smoked the day before the one I woke up and found myself in this stupid,pointless,useless "country"!

Edited April 17, 2016 by Manu Della Valle

[Mark K]

Thanx @Manu Della Vallegent's there is good period evidence in the form of images to support they were issued out and worn by the 13 Brigade  which took part in the liberation of Kiska in the Aleutians Islands in July of 1943 ( Operation Cottage ) The one image below is of a Canadian soldier and a officer in my home town of Nanaimo pre to boarding ships to Kiska take note of the mix of US and Canadian equiipment being used the other is of members of the 13 Brigade en-route to the Aleutians Islands and the last image is reportedly taken on the ground after there landing...The M-1 was as well worn by the First Special Service Force a joint Canadian and American Unit .

Regards Mark

Edited April 17, 2016 by Mark K

[DAK D]

Hi @Mark K,

Fantastic photos

D