AMERICAN 101ST AIRBORNE RECONNAISSANCE PLATOON M2 HELMET

This is an original American WW2 M1 front seam helmet shell that has been refurbished with D-Bales added and aged M2 Paratrooper 1942 version chin strap. This helmet shell has been repainted with 101ST Airborne Camouflage RECONNAISSANCE pattern. 

The 0riginal US M-1 helmet liner was manufactured in Watertown, Massachusetts by International Molded Plastics, Inc (IMP) and has been restored to M-2 airborne helmet specifications with high quality reproduction helmet accessories. .

This a completely restored helmet liner that we clean and repaint the outside then refit the interior with od 3 yokes with wire buckle, female dot snaps, chamois chin cup, steel rivets, dull gray -A- washers, neckband & web harness with nickel snaps, sweatband and green buckle leather chinstrap.

This helmet liner that we used to restore happened to have the soldiers name written on the liner:  Kenneth E. Lovelady, Kansas, and his service number. No realation to 101st airborne probably.

The M2 was worn by American soldiers in World War ll, this helmet was widely used by American Paratroopers. It is also commonly referred to as the M2 D-Bale Paratrooper Helmet, worn by many soldiers in Normandy on D-Day, This helmet was worn by combat troops and parachute infantrymen a like but primarily issued to paratroopers. 

The rest of the US Army was used the M-1 Helmet.  The M-2 helmets had a modified wire for the chin strap that was D-shaped, leading some to refer to it as the D-bale‘. This modification was supposed to deter it from snapping off during a jump, but with as rare of a find as these M-2 helmets are, it may not have been a particularly helpful modification.