WW2 US M1 helmet (1st Infantry Division)

The US M1 helmet was first introduced in 1941 and had a colourful service history which lasted until the mid 1980s, when it was replaced by the composite PASGT helmet.

The M1 was so successful that many countries adopted the model and even began to produce their own "clones", most notable of these were Austria, Germany and Belgium. Minor changes / updates were implemented over the course of its lifetime, such as paint texture and colour, rim material and positioning, chinstrap bales, chinstraps and of course the liners. However in general terms the actual helmet design changed little.

The helmet shown above is typical of late war production and would have missed the D Day landings, however the red one painted to the front refers to the US 1st Infantry Division "The Red One".

Together with the 29th Infantry Division, the Red One assaulted Omaha Beach, what was to become the bloodiest sector of the landings. The 1st Infantry Division is the oldest in the US Army and first saw action in WW2 during the North African campaign. This helmet is interesting as it is only the second I have seen with a similar painted "Red One" marking.