Item: US Army WW2 D-Day Paratrooper Airborne Camo Painted M-2 D-Bale Steel Jump Helmet

Markings: Stamped with the heat lot number "200" at the underside of the front lip, denoting manufacture in ca. July 1942 by the famous McCord Radiator Co.

Condition: This helmet is in Good Condition. A deep 2" x 1" dent, as well as moderate finish abrading and dark patina, at the top crown. A 1" vertical stress crack in the lower back left crown. Some denting along the front left edge rim. Some scratching and patina around the exterior. Heavy patina around the inside. Both D-bales have broken away and are lost to history, as is frequently encountered on original examples. The larger "feet" of the D-bales remain at each side, and correctly measure 36mm apart from the far end of one to the far end of the other, notably longer than the 31mm measurement of traditional M-1 fixed bales. Features a front seam, stainless steel edge rim, 75% of the original corked OD exterior finish, a crudely painted camouflage pattern of green splotches around the exterior, and the remnants of a red and yellow 2 5/8" diameter circular decal at the lower right crown. We currently offer another original US WW2 M-2 D-bale jump helmet with a similar remnant of a circular decal at the lower right crown under a separate listing, and we acquired both helmets from the same source at the same time. No liner included. An incredible original piece.

Historical Background: The US Army saw the success of German paratroopers in 1940, and quickly set about creating its own elite airborne units. US paratroopers jumped on Sicily in Operation Husky in 1943, and dropped into Normandy during the D-Day invasion in 1944. Special equipment was developed for those "devils in baggy pants", including the M-2 jump helmet. Rather than the traditional “fixed bales”, the M-2 featured “D-bales” at each side, which allowed the snap adorned chinstraps to connect to the airborne helmet liner with “A” yokes and leather chin cup. The entire ensemble was designed to better withstand the shock of the opening parachute canopy. D-bales proved even more fragile than fixed bales in the field, and as such, most original M-2 helmets encountered today bear none or in some lucky cases one of the original D-bales. The first M-2 D-bale jump helmets were produced in January 1942. They were officially standardized in July 1942, and were gradually replaced by the M-1C swivel bale jump helmet after the D-Day invasion.

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