✅ SOLVED Military helmet and canteen

ToastedWheatie

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Jun 30, 2013
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I recently picked up these two items at a sale, and I noticed that the canteen has a name imprinted on it.

As I start the process of getting that canteen home (survivor or family), I need to narrow it down.

Can someone tell me the branch of service the canteen is from?
The back of the canteen holster is stamped "Atlas 1941" and the pouch on the belt is stamped "1942" I assume that's the year of issue. The canteen itself is stamped US LF & C 1918

Did Army and marines have same canteens?

The same question goes for the helmet. Although I was told they paired up, I don't believe all that I hear from sellers.

There are no markings on the helmet.



Any thoughts?

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The name withstanding, the condition of cover and web belt look like what you would find at an Army/Navy surplus store. Does not look used.
 

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the fixed bails that hold the chin strap on date it to have been made between April 1941 to Oct. 1943. After that, they switched to bails that would swivel
 

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All good WW2 era gear, all branches would have used that same gear. But being WW2 manufacture doesn't mean that's when it was issued, there were huge stockpiles left over at the end of the war that were still being issued out all the way into the 1970's.

Nice finds!
 

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Thanks guys!

I've since learned that the 1918 canteens from WWI were issued with new designed covers into WWII.

Jewelerguy (thanks!) matches the helmet dates, but did Marine and Army both get same helmets?
No it doesn't look used, but maybe it wasn't. Possibly domestic deployment is a thought.

I have it preliminarily nailed down to four guys. One was a Marine in 1937 onward into the 40s. Another shows up as Naval Commander in early fiftees. May be the same guy.

I also cant discount two Army GIs.

I wonder if the number stamped on both the canteen cover and the belt will match up somewhere in online records to an individual.
 

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All branches did get the same helmets, there are some variations in the liners as I remember but the shells were all the same. The number is probably his serial number, which should make him fairly easy to find
 

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All branches did get the same helmets, there are some variations in the liners as I remember but the shells were all the same. The number is probably his serial number, which should make him fairly easy to find

thanks! I think I narrowed it down.
Service number comes out as Army. Commissioned Officer originally enlisted from the North East. After the first two, the rest of the digits are sequential, but thats a lot more than I had before. There is also a matching name in a National Guard in the 60s. may explain the unused look.

Thanks again, i'll mark this as "solved".
 

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