US M2 NCO HELMET 502nd PARACHUTIST INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 101st AIRBORNE

This is an original American WW2 M1 front seam helmet shell, refurbished with D-Bales added and aged M2 Paratrooper 1942 version chin strap. This helmet has been repainted with finely ground cork added. Worn by the 101st Airborne.

The M-2 helmet shell has the hand painted Heart of the 502nd PIR and the NCO (non-commissioned officer) bar. The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Five-Oh-Deuce", was a regiment attached to the 101st Airborne Division during WW2.

Call signal "KICKOFF". 

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. These helmets were fitted with liners, neckband, sweatband, chin cup and leather chin strap.

The rest of the US Army used the M-1 Helmet.

Helmet markings for the U.S. Paratroopers: 

The legend began in World War II, when the 101st Airborne Division created tactical helmet insignias to help reassemble the paratroopers on the ground using playing card symbols.  The symbols were readily visible on helmets which was expected to help facilitate quick re-assembly.  The 101st Ace of Spades was not only used to represent good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing, but was considered a death card for the enemy.

Tick marks on helmets at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock postions, indicated regiment units as follows:

Top (12 o'clock): Division (HQ) Artillery
3 o'clock: 1st Battalion
6 o'clock: 2nd Battalion
9 o'clock: 3rd Battalion.

Also, small units within the 101st had their own esoteric helmet symbols. All divisional artillery units had a white circle, representing a cannonball, in the following order:

Top (12 o'clock): Division (HQ) Artillery
3 o'clock: 321st Glider Field Artillery (GFA) Battalion
6 o'clock: 377th Parachute Field Artillery (PFA) Battalion
9 o'clock: 907th GFA Battalion.

The 463rd PFA Battalion, attached just prior to the Battle of the Bulge, wore two parallel tics below the circle at 6 o'clock. The 326th Medical Company wore a white Geneva Cross. The 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion wore a white triangle, The Division Recon platoon wore a white "R" and the divisional band wore a white lyre.

ATTENTION :

We only have 2 of these refurbished US original helmet shells .

I will make another batch next year when I bring some more shells to my friend in France for him to transform M1 front seem shells to M-2s

So next august hope to have 6 more to bring home in my luggage.