Early Riddell helmet

[jack aubrey]

Dear forum members

Actually we have in our ww2 museum the helmet on the pics... We really need help to identify this model... Please take a moment to post your thinkings about it

Thank you in advance

Jack

[jack aubrey]

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[jack aubrey]

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[jack aubrey]

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[jack aubrey]

Could this be a ww2 parachutist training helmet?...

[princip]

Could this be a ww2 parachutist training helmet?...

Yes, that's what I was going to write, a Riddell RT model parachutist helmet. I believe they tested this model helmet for tank gunners, however, never panned out. Interesting note that the famous M-1 military helmet back in the day had Riddell suspension systems.

[jack aubrey]

Yes, that's what I was going to write, a Riddell RT model parachutist helmet. I believe they tested this model helmet for tank gunners, however, never panned out. Interesting note that the famous M-1 military helmet back in the day had Riddell suspension systems.

Thank you for your post....

I can´t find any reference to this chinstrap with this "trough the helmet system"... All that i have found are attached to the buckles outside the helmet and not trough...

When do your think?

Jack

[princip]

Thank you for your post....

I can´t find any reference to this chinstrap with this "trough the helmet system"... All that i have found are attached to the buckles outside the helmet and not trough...

When do your think?

Jack

I'm going to have to retract my last statement about this being a military helmet. After conferring with a very reliable source/expert it doesn't look to be military helmet because back in the day the Riddell model RT military helmet had black rivets and no holes at the top(or at least not so many), soldiers getting wet being a bad idea. Just a fantastic looking Riddell RT football helmet.

[jack aubrey]

Yes... as stated in page 90 of Bill Rentz´s book "Geronimo" about ww2 airborne uniforms and equipment.... Bill told me directly, after showed, that army even bought helmets at sport shops before Riddell designed a special airborne helmet....

I have seen a helmet like mine without chincup listed for 3,500$.... Do you know an aprox worth for this one?.....

[princip]

Yes... as stated in page 90 of Bill Rentz´s book "Geronimo" about ww2 airborne uniforms and equipment.... Bill told me directly, after showed, that army even bought helmets at sport shops before Riddell designed a special airborne helmet....

I have seen a helmet like mine without chincup listed for 3,500$.... Do you know an aprox worth for this one?.....

From what I gather, the early Riddell prototypes had those weird chin strap hookups(will post pics later). So, maybe the Army got a batch directly from Riddell to test out for their parachutists? This definitely could very well be a parachutist training helmet, as you stated before. That being said, most likely never used in true combat situations because Riddell never painted the WWII helmets from the inside. They were painted from the outside to cut down the reflective properties of the clear shell. Hence, the black rivets as well. I will try and post some pics of the actual military Riddell RTs later today.

As far as the worth, well I really have no idea? This particular helmet falls into a few categories, very unique indeed.

[aeneas01]

Dear forum members, Actually we have in our ww2 museum the helmet on the pics... We really need help to identify this model... Please take a moment to post your thinkings about it Thank you in advance Jack

jack - imo there's very little doubt that your helmet was produced for military use rather than football use. further, i don't think it's prudent to use a strict rule of thumb when attempting to identify these particular type of riddell helmets (e.g., riddell military helmets were only painted on the exterior, they didn't have airholes, etc.) because i believe they came in many flavors and were most likely intended and designed for more than one type of military use (i.e. paratrooper training).

here are a few photos of military tenite helmets that share common traits with your helmet as follows: (left) riveted chinstrap buckle, (center) slot for chinstrap and (right) additional crown webbing riveted to shell. the left and right photos are paratroopers, the center photo is a tanker.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/z02-2.jpg

closeups of the above photos:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/z03-2.jpg

regarding the value of your helmet, i would guess $400-$600... here's a great looking military riddell helmet that recently sold for $495 shipped (note that this helmet, like yours, is also fitted with additional crown webbing - i also believe that it is fitted with chinstrap slots as well):

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/z01-2.jpg

to reiterate, i believe the areas circled in red in this photo of your helmet point to military use rather than football use: additional crown webbing riveted to shell (rivets circled in red), exterior webbing strap between jaw pad rivets (red arrow), chinstrap buckle riveted to shell (rivet is below the leather wrap-around jaw pad) and slotted chinstrap opening:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/z04-2.jpg

...

[princip]

Great stuff Robert, just to add I got these fantastic pics from Curtis over at Historic Helmets, showing what's underneath the leather wrap at the chinstrap buckle and the rivet you were referring to. This example is off one of the early football helmet prototypes.

http://www.michaelprincip.com/images/early8.jpg
http://www.michaelprincip.com/images/earlychin1.jpg
http://www.michaelprincip.com/images/earlychin3.jpg

[princip]

Actually the top pic. simply looks like another very strange chinstrap hookup?

[jack aubrey]

Well

Tons of info provided... Absolutly more than expected....

I really apreciate your effort and feel the need to thank you a well done job....

Thank you so much!!

Jack

[aeneas01]

... I got these fantastic pics from Curtis over at Historic Helmets, showing what's underneath the leather wrap at the chinstrap buckle and the rivet you were referring to.

curtis, jim, helmet hut and historic helmets. i can't even begin to imagine just how in the dark helmet enthusiasts would be, all of us, if not for the tremendous amount of historical information curtis and jim have so generously and freely shared with all of us through the years. i don't know squat about bats but i seem to remember that bat record info once rested in the hands of the very few - a very small group that was reluctant to freely share the information. this could have easily been the case with football helmets had riddell manufacturing records and historical info rested in the hands of similar folk. but, fortunately for helmet enthusiasts, this info was instead obtained by extremely generous and passionate collectors, curtis and jim, who made it immediately available to everyone through their tremendous online virtual helmet museum, helmet hut. great pics michael (and curtis)!

http://www.helmethut.com/

...

[princip]

curtis, jim, helmet hut and historic helmets. i can't even begin to imagine just how in the dark helmet enthusiasts would be, all of us, if not for the tremendous amount of historical information curtis and jim have so generously and freely shared with all of us through the years. i don't know squat about bats but i seem to remember that bat record info once rested in the hands of the very few - a very small group that was reluctant to freely share the information. this could have easily been the case with football helmets had riddell manufacturing records and historical info rested in the hands of similar folk. but, fortunately for helmet enthusiasts, this info was instead obtained by extremely generous and passionate collectors, curtis and jim, who made it immediately available to everyone through their tremendous online virtual helmet museum, helmet hut. great pics michael (and curtis)!

http://www.helmethut.com/

...

Never a truer word spoken.