Since Germany’s declaration of war on the United States on December 11, 1941, an Allied assault against continental Europe was inevitable. Beginning with Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the Allies maintained their momentum against the Third Reich with landings in Sicily and Italy in 1943. In this way, Anglo-American forces battered away at the edges of an overextended Nazi empire. But perhaps the greatest prize of the war remained occupied France. And the day which saw the most significant operation was June 6, 1944
An M1 helmet with matching 29th division insignias applied to the shell and the liner. The helmet is identified as having been worn by a member of K Company as he dis-embarked over dog-white sector of Omaha beach from a Higgins boat launched from the transport ship; USS Carroll. As part of the second wave, the ramp of this assault craft dropped at H-Hour + 50 minutes. I first encountered this helmet in the early 1990s and in a discussion with the owner, I learned that the helmet was found by a young man named André Bonne in the immediate post-war years in the vicinity of Vierville-sur-mer; just inland from Omaha Beach. It was later retained as part of Mr, Bonne’s substantial collection housed in a private-owned museum on the old N13 highway. The collection was sold in 1997. The Private in K/116 is listed as Wounded in action on June 7, 1944.
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An M1 helmet with matching 1st division insignias applied to the shell and the liner. In it’s long history of service throughout WW2 In Europe, The 1st division was known to have used a variety of frontal insignia at different periods of the war (Solid border, interrupted border, green background and so on…) This insignia is a number one which is framed in an interrupted black boarder line. It is the type that were applied to soldier’s helmets in Great Britain during the weeks leading up to the Normandy assault. Although unidentified, this helmet is of the type worn by men of the first waves on easy and Fox sectors of Omaha beach at Colleville sure-mer.
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This D-bale M2 helmet was worn by Pfc. Owen Hill of HQ company 508 PIR when he dropped south of Chef-du-Pont during the Normandy Invasion. Hill was most likely separated from this helmet when he was wounded on June 12 near Beuzeville le bastille; less than a mile from the swamp into which he dropped during the early hours of June 6.
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Technically speaking, this is not an actual D-Day helmet. It was worn by Ssgt Alois Schaefer of G company, 327 glider infantry regiment. Due to the lack of Tow-aircraft and hence airlift capabilities, G company (in fact all of 2nd Battalion) came over Utah beach at the end of June 7 (D + 1) joining 327th regiment in their drive for St Come du mont. The helmet shows that it was repainted in O.D/paint and the tac signs replaced prior to Schaefer’s participation in the Glider drop into Holland in September. By the time that 327th took up positions guarding the south east perimeter of the Bastogne pocket, Schafer wore the helmet without a net. He was wounded in January and seperated from his helmet, which was found locally near Marvie in the 1980s.
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