BATTLE-DAMAGED M1 HELMET WITH DIVISIONAL INSIGNIA

BATTLE-DAMAGED M1 HELMET WITH DIVISIONAL INSIGNIA
An evocative relic purportedly recovered near Omaha Beach, a United States Army M1 steel helmet shell, with fixed strap bales, a seam at the front, and the paint of the rim flaking away to reveal the bright metal surface beneath -- all hallmarks of early World War II helmets. The shell bears the very faded painted insignia of an infantry division at front, potentially the 1st Infantry Division - a red numeral '1' within an inverted diamond. The helmet also bears two spots of battle damage, potentially from German bullets or shrapnel: one round entrance hole towards the front, bending the metal inwards, and a horizontal exit hole towards the rear, warping the metal outwards. Unfortunately, no heat stamps visible. Clearly dug and notably worn, with some cracks towards the rim and heavy oxidation to the interior. Directly from the estate of Prof. R. WAYNE SNIDER (1928-2020), a founder of Grace Theological Seminary and a Professor of History for over fifty years at Grace College in Indiana whose estate attests that the helmet was recovered near the OMAHA landing beaches.