This is the M5 flak helmet worn by U.S. Army Air Forces aircrew in the Second World War, a three-piece shell of Hadfield manganese steel with hinged ear flaps and the factory olive drab shade 3 liner webbing still in place. The shell keeps its first coat of cork-aggregate paint beneath a thin flocked layer, put there so bare skin would not freeze to the steel. The supplier rates it very good overall.

Two faults are stated: the chinstrap is gone and the leather sweatband is broken. Otherwise the helmet is complete and serviceable. For a Texas collector of Army Air Forces gear or a display built around a bomber crew, an M5 with its first paint, flocking and webbing is the piece that matters; a strap can be sourced later. Judge it on the untouched finish and the intact hinged flaps, and expect the two listed defects in hand.

Key features

• USAAF M5 aircrew flak helmet, WWII, three-piece
• Hadfield manganese steel, hinged ear flaps
• Original OD shade 3 suspension
• Original cork-aggregate paint with flocked covering
• Chinstrap missing, sweatband broken

Ships to your Texas address directly; no dealer involved.