WWII U.S. St. Clair Rubber Co. M-2 Paratrooper Helmet Liner with Rayon Suspension Remnants (1942)

Description

This is an original and exceedingly rare U.S. WWII M-2 paratrooper helmet liner. It was produced by St. Clair Rubber Company of Marysville, Michigan. Interestingly, Westinghouse was the only company that provided ready-to-use paratrooper helmet liners during the war; "an extremely limited number of St. Clair liners" began their lives as infantry models and were later converted by the McCord Radiator & Manufacturing Co. of Detroit, Michigan prior to being issued (Oosterman, 218). Unfortunately, this liner's rayon suspension is completely missing and its factory installed A-yokes have been severed, however remnants are still visible beneath the non-painted steel rectangular washers. These features, in combination with the nickel-plated brass sockets that accommodate the corresponding snaps on a paratrooper helmet shell's chinstrap, approximately date the liner's production to mid-1942. Interestingly, a set of pop rivets were added to its sides to attach a field-improvised chinstrap likely after its stationary leather liner strap broke. Attached to these pop rivets are remnants of a British-made camouflage helmet net. The exterior retains its original olive drab factory finish. This liner will display quite nicely when paired with an M-2 "D-bail" helmet.

Provenance

This liner was found in a home in Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France in 2020. St. Clair paratrooper liners are incredibly rare; however, those that have surfaced are often attributed to men in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, which secured Montebourg Station just northwest of Sainte-Mere-Èglise on June 10, 1944.

Condition Report

This liner is in fair condition, with almost nothing left of its interior suspension, but thankfully what it lacks in condition it makes up for in rarity.