WWII USAAF Army Air Force M4A2 Flak Helmet Complete withChin Strap Unissued

WWII Era USAAF Army Air Force M4A2 Flak Helmet - Complete w/Chin Strap - Unissued Condition. This helmet is complete with the cloth covering and the leather chin straps. The chin straps are commonly missing from most examples of this helmet.

This helmet is in Unissued Condition. No rips or tears in the cloth covering. Please see photo's for details. When the USAAF started to operate from the air fields in England, their main purpose was day light bomb raiders over occupied Europe.

The Germans relied mostly on their flak guns to prevent the bombers to drop their load. The American bomber crew suffered mainly from shrapnel injuries all over the body and the head. To offer some protection the 8th Air Force started to develop anti-flak gear. At the very start the head protection was a regular M-1 helmet with cut-outs for the earphones.

Than experimental gear was tested (T-3 helmet) and later on the headwear improved and special metal ear flaps were added to the M-1 helmet. This resulted in the M-3 helmet. The last modification was the M-5 helmet with longer ear flaps to protect the cheeks.

For the turret gunners the available space was very limited and therefor a large M-1 helmet couldn't be used. So a new helmet had to be developed, the M-4 helmet (M-4, M4A1, M4A2 and a rare version H-28-CL project). Check out my other items. The item "WWII USAAF Army Air Force M4A2 Flak Helmet Complete withChin Strap Unissued" is in sale since Tuesday, June 28, 2016. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\United States\Uniforms". The seller is "koolstuff1958" and is located in Henderson, Nevada. This item can be shipped to United States.

Country of Manufacture: United States
Time Period: WWII 1939-1945
Item: USAAF M4A2 Flak Helmet
Item 1: Pilot or Aircrew Flak Helmet
Branch of Service: US Army Air Force USAAF