Original U.S. WWII USAAF Bomber Crew M3 Steel FLAK Helmet - Complete U.S. Army very faintly dated 1917 is

very faintly dated 1917 is Maker marked:

Serial number 340950B denotes year of manufacture as 1890

The Smith’s Patent Carbine

Included with the purchase is a notarized letter from the original owner’s son to add concrete provenance to this unique WW2 Civil Defense collectible

The second reads AAF CLOTH MAP - ASIATIC SERIES - at the top center and titled: NO

Original U.S. WWII USAAF Bomber Crew M3 Steel FLAK Helmet - Complete U.S. Army very faintly dated 1917 isOriginal Item: Only One Available. Excellent condition complete hard to find USAAF WWII issue M3 Flak Helmet. World War Two American bomber crews in the skies over Europe needed something more than their leather flying helmets to provide them with shrapnel injuries, however it took a surprisingly long time for a new helmet to be developed and deployed to meet that need. Not until December of 1943 did the M3 reach the ETO, it was the first of three