US M1 Combat Medic helmet, McCord 970A shell, three-quarter view, red cross on white panel and side cross outlined in white

Complete Infantry Helmet – Original McCord 970A

Name: Complete Infantry Helmet – Original McCord 970A
Brand: Mon Casque M1
Price: 399.00 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

399,00€

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Original restored complete M1 infantry helmet in Combat Medic configuration, built around an original McCord shell, lot number 970A, front seam and swivel bales, fitted with a high bail chinstrap. It carries four red crosses, two on white panels at the front and rear, two outlined with a white border on the sides, together with the identification number 310469 stencilled on the crown.

The liner is a restored Firestone, moulded from the Inland tooling transferred following changes to the production contracts, of which it retains residual traces of the logo. It is fully reassembled with a medium neckband, steel rivets, a headband with green buckle and green clips, and a leather chinstrap with black buckle.

About

The shell is a McCord production, lot number 970A, with a front seam, a configuration adopted during the course of the conflict. It is fitted with swivel bales, a hinged system that succeeded the fixed bales. The combination of front seam and swivel bales places this shell within the later productions of the M1 range.

The liner is a restored Firestone model showing residual traces of the Inland logo. This feature results from the transfer of the Inland moulds to Firestone following changes to the production contracts, the former manufacturer's impressions partially remaining on the shells moulded by the successor. The neckband support has turned edges and the neckband is medium size. The rivets are steel, the headband is fitted with a green buckle and green clips, while the liner chinstrap is leather with a black buckle and black posts.

1.9 kg

Shell: Steel
Chinstrap: Cotton
Buckles: Brass

The original McCord shell has been fully restored. The process includes careful soda blasting and the application of a new textured paint conforming to period standards. Components such as the swivel bales and the rim have been checked and preserved to ensure the helmet's authenticity.

The liner is one size, but is nonetheless adjustable both in depth and in head circumference.

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Helmet Shell Details

Peinture du casque US M1 Combat Medic : croix rouge sur panneau blanc carré fortement patiné par l'usage

Painting Complete Infantry Helmet – Original McCord 970A

The shell is painted in the configuration of combat medical personnel, with red crosses applied over a white ground, the distinctive marking worn by American combat medics under the international conventions protecting medical personnel. This marking, applied within units rather than at the factory, showed considerable variation in size and layout depending on the echelon and the theatre of operations. The base colour conforms to the olive drab standards of the US Army in use during the conflict.

Texture granuleuse au liège de la coque McCord 970A autour d'une croix rouge cernée d'un liseré blanc

Texture Complete Infantry Helmet – Original McCord 970A

The McCord shell presents a patinated granular surface texture, obtained by mixing cork into the paint, a process intended to reduce reflections and noise. The grain is even across the whole surface, consistent with the treatments applied in production to M1 shells.

Jugulaire coton olive drab à barre surélevée du casque US M1 McCord 970A, boucle noircie et cerclage inox

Chinstrap Complete Infantry Helmet – Original McCord 970A

The shell is fitted with a high bail chinstrap, mounted on the swivel bales of the shell. This configuration corresponds to the assemblies observed on mid war and late production helmets. The whole presents an assembly consistent with the standards of the American infantry in the field.

Helmet Liner Details

Image description contre rivet acier non peint de sous casque US M1

Steel A Washer

From September 1942, we note a significant development in the design of this equipment: the washers adopt a triangular shape (so called "A Washer"). This modification aimed to ensure a better fit to the internal curvature of the helmet liner. These new washers were machined from coated steel. It is important to note that this technical change took place, with rare exceptions, simultaneously with the replacement of rayon with cotton in the manufacture of the suspension system.

Non-adjustable Neckband

The neckband, now manufactured in khaki cotton following the abandonment of rayon, incorporated new specifications. These parts were now marked with ink (by stamping) to clearly indicate their size and manufacturer. The standardization of sizes, which took place in 1943, distinguished three categories: “small", "medium" And "large". As for the snap fasteners, they are mostly engraved with the words "United Carr", although one can come across pieces devoid of any inscription.

Green Loop Headband

From 1942, the headband was equipped with a new stamped steel buckle. This buckle, painted green for protection and camouflage purposes, improved the fit. At the same time, the fixing clamps were also revised, as the first model was deemed too flexible. The new clamps received a stamped bead additional near their end. This technical modification had the effect of making the clips more rigid, thus ensuring better closure and more secure fixation. This marked an important step towards making the suspension system more reliable.

Neckband Support Returned

On the first liners, this short rear neckband support was made in white rayon. It served as an attachment point for the neck strap thanks to two pairs of female snap fasteners integrated. The attachment to the body of the liner was ensured by three rivets, with both ends of the headband being folded over before riveting. This initial design was quickly revised for reasons of durability and economy. Thus, from June 1942, the rayon was replaced by cotton, the process of folding the ends remaining unchanged. This change marked the beginning of the abandonment of rayon in suspension systems.

Image d'illustration du crochet de jugulaire en cuir de liner US M1 peint en noir.

Black Chin Strap Attachment

The second type of chinstrap represents a crucial development, becoming removableand no longer integral with the hull. To ensure this quick attachment, a triangular-shaped attachment hook is present at each end of the strap. On the model presented, this attachment triangle is black. It locks onto a male stud (similar to a garter belt system), securely riveted to the inner shell. These fastening studs could be made of brass or steel, and came with either a rounded or hollow tip. This mechanism offered unprecedented flexibility of use compared to the first fixed models.

Black Liner Chin Strap

From mid-1944, the chin strap hardware was standardized with new materials. The buckle, rivets and fasteners were now made of brass, a more resistant material. This brass was protected by a corrosion inhibitor coating to ensure better durability in the field. This change marked a quality improvement and the longevity of the fitting parts during the end of the conflict. However, once the war was over, production regressed to less expensive materials. Thus, the models post-war are recognizable by their buckles and rivets in black painted steel.

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Complete Infantry Helmet – Original McCord 970A

The American combat medic operated as close as possible to the line of contact, assigned at a rate of one man per infantry squad and tasked with stabilising the wounded before their evacuation to the battalion aid station. Unarmed, he wore the armband and red cross markings provided for by the 1929 Geneva Convention, intended to protect him from enemy fire. In practice these markings offered highly uneven protection: well respected in some sectors, they were at times regarded as an aiming mark, leading certain units to abandon visible markings. The American evacuation chain — stretcher bearers, battalion aid station, field hospital — nonetheless achieved a survival rate among the wounded who reached a medical facility higher than in any previous conflict. Medics were among the heaviest casualties in infantry units, and several of them are counted among the recipients of the Medal of Honor.