Original Item: Only One Available. According to his family Corporal Peter P Kupiec serial number 31348290 was a member of the 35th Infantry and served at the end of WW2. Peter P Kupiec, born in 1924 enlisted on 12-11-1944 from Berkshire county Massachusetts. This helmet is named on the inrsde of the shell in raised white paint that was later painted over with green. It reads:

WW2 Medic helmets are among the most sought after of all M1 helmets and have become very difficult to find in recent years. This helmet is a nice example and still retains most of its WW2 parts (liner is incomplete) and the shell has all original "corked" grain paint with four original red crosses inside white circles, the front circle also bears the symbol of the 35th Infantry retirement.

The U.S. WWII M-1 helmet was only produced from 1941 to 1945. The first production batch resulted with over 323,510 M-1 helmets before the start of the American involvement in the war. This helmet is stamped 117A which indicates the approximate manufacture date of April, 1942. However, it has late was features such as swivel bails and a rear seam, meaning this helmet was factory refitted and reissued late in the war.

The Ordnance Department selected McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan to produce the steel M1 helmet bodies. These bodies were made from a single piece of Hadfield Manganese steel that was produced by the Carnegie-Illinois & Sharon Steel Corporations. Each completed raw M-1 helmet shell weighed 2.25 lbs each.

The later M-1 helmet shells had a set of swivel (movable) chinstrap loops called bales and a stainless steel rim. These rims were both rust resistant and had "non-magnetic qualities" that reduced the chance of error readings when placed around certain sensitive equipment (such as a compass).

The liner is correct high pressure WWII issue and stamped with a W for the Westinghouse Electric Co Manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this "high pressure" manufactured M-1 helmet liner is identified by an embossed "W" in the crown (which is still Westinghouse's logo to this day). Westinghouse was the largest M-1 helmet liner producer and had two production divisions; Micarta and Bryant Electric. The Micarta Division produced about 13,000,000 M-1 helmet liners and the Bryant Electric Division about 10,000,000. Westinghouse Electric Company started M-1 helmet liner delivery in May 1942. Westinghouse did have a contract to produce airborne liners and converted an unknown amount to airborne configuration. Westinghouse discontinued production around August 17, 1945 when the war ended.

This true almost unissued US WWII M-1 helmet liner be identified through the frontal eyelet hole. Other correct WW2 features include cotton herringbone twill (HBT) cloth suspension dated 1943. This HBT suspension is held tightly within the M-1 helmet liner by rivets and a series of triangular "A" washers. The three upper suspension bands are joined together with a shoestring. This way the wearer could adjust the fit.

This liner is missing much of its suspension system.

History of the 35th Infantry Division during World War II

- Activated: 23 December 1940 (National Guard Division from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska)

- Arrived ETO: 25 May 1944

- Landed Omaha Beach: 5-7 July 1944

- Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe

- Days of combat: 264

- Distinguished Unit Citations: 6

- Awards: Medal of Honor-1 ; Distinguished Service Cross-44 ; Distinguished Service Medal-1 ; Silver Star-688 ; Legion of Merit-10; Distinguished Flying Cross-1 ; Soldiers Medal-22 ; Bronze Star Medal-3,435 ; Air Medal-133.

- Commanders: Maj. Gen. Ralph E. Truman (December 1940 – October 1941), Maj. Gen. William H. Simpson (October 1941–April 1942), Maj. Gen. Maxwell Murray (May 1942 – January 1943), Maj. Gen. Paul W. Baade (January 1943 to inactivation.)

- Returned to U.S.: 10 September 1945.

- Inactivated: 7 December 1945.

Actions during World War II:

The 35th Infantry Division arrived in England on 25 May 1944 and received further training. It landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy July 5–7, 1944 and entered combat on 11 July, fighting in the Normandy hedgerows, north of St. Lo. The Division beat off twelve German counterattacks at Emelie before entering St. Lo on 18 July. After mopping up in the St. Lo area, it took part in the offensive action southwest of St. Lo, pushing the Germans across the Vire on 2 August, and breaking out of the Cotentin Peninsula. While en route to an assembly area, the Division was "flagged off the road," to secure the Mortain-Avranches corridor and to rescue the 30th Division's "Lost Battalion" August 7–13, 1944.

Then racing across France through Orleans and Sens, the Division attacked across the Moselle on 13 September, captured Nancy on 15 September, secured Chambrey on 1 October, and drove on to the German border, taking Sarreguemines and crossing the Saar on 8 December. After crossing the Blies River on 12 December, the Division moved to Metz for rest and rehabilitation on 19 December. The 35th moved to Arlon, Belgium December 25–26, and took part in the fighting to relieve Bastogne, throwing off the attacks of four German divisions, taking Villers-laBonne-Eau on 10 January, after a 13-day fight and Lutrebois in a 5-day engagement. On 18 January 1945, the Division returned to Metz to resume its interrupted rest.

In late January, the Division was defending the Foret de Domaniale area. Moving to theNetherlands to hold a defensive line along the Roer on 22 February, the Division attacked across the Roer on 23 February, pierced the Siegfried Line, reached the Rhine at Wesel on 10 March, and crossed 25–26 March. It smashed across the Herne Canal and reached the Ruhr River early in April, when it was ordered to move to the Elbe April 12. Making the 295-mile dash in two days, the 35th mopped up in the vicinity of Colbitz and Angern, until 26 April 1945 when it moved to Hanover for occupational and mopping-up duty, continuing occupation beyond VE-day. The Division left Southampton, England on 5 September, and arrived in New York City on 10 September 1945.