WWII U.S. Prototype M-1 Helmet Liner with Rayon Suspension (1942)

This is a superbly rare WWII U.S. M-1 helmet liner - possibly the only one of its kind in existence. Due to the inadequacies of the paper liners produced by Hawley Products Company and General Fibre Company, alternative materials were sought almost immediately. In early 1942, numerous companies submitted their high-pressure prototype liners for consideration, with only Mine Safety Appliances Company, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, and Inland Manufacturing Division, a subsidiary of General Motors Company, receiving initial government contracts. This liner is believed to have been submitted by one of the trial's unsuccessful participants. Its shape is unlike that of standard high-pressure liners, and even exhibits "cut outs" similar to those seen on the sides of low-pressure St. Clair Rubber Company liners. Its interior crown is completely devoid of any manufacturer's marking, further pointing to its pre-production nature. Its first pattern rayon suspension is held in place by non-painted brass rectangular washers, which are often seen in the earliest production Hawley and General Fibre liners. The suspension comes complete with its original OD#3 (khaki) neckband, double wire headband, and stationary leather chinstrap remnants. The headband is quite rare in its own right; manufactured by George R. Carter Co., which only produced a single contract of headbands (W199-QM-25904) awarded on June 1, 1942. The liner's exterior retains its original olive drab factory finish, and affixed to the front of the liner is its original enlisted man's service cap device. Interestingly, a piece of padding appears to have once been handstitched to the liner's suspension which would have protected the wearer's forehead from the service cap device's screwback post.