WWII US Army M1 Helmet - The M-1 steel pot helmet is one of the most utilitarian designs produced for a U.S. helmet and one of the longest lasting. Many news reels and pictures show the GI's using their helmet to cook, dig, carry water and many other functions.

The helmet is composed of a metal shell and a separate liner with a plastic shell. Both shells are illustrated on the pictures below. Notice that the plastic shell has a hole in the front-center. This hole is where an insignia could be placed.

This helmet might be one of the most recognizable icons of WWII. Approximatelly 8 million helmets were produced during WWII by a large number of companies.

A quick way to tell if a helmet is from the WWII period is by looking at where the welding point is located. The WWII helmets have it in the front of the helmet (As shown in the picture below). Later examples had the weld in the back.