A very nice and historic USM1 front seam fixed bale Colonel's combat helmet. The town of Spa will be liberated by American troops on September 12, 1944. In October 1944, General Hodges established his headquarters at the former boarding school « Le Britannique ». December 16 is the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The HQ is leaving Spa and will return in January to create the « Recreation Center ». The soldiers then went to Spa to relax and have a good time. Unlike neighboring towns, such as Gleize, Malmedy or Winamplanche, there has never been a battle in Spa. The casino then becomes the heart of festive life. Balls are organized in the Casino hall. They play ping-pong in the blue living room. The « Zebra Bar » is located there and there is even a small chapel and a cinema. This helmet was given to one of the casino croupiers by an officer who definitely wanted to play one last game before the gaming table closed. This helmet was sold by the gentleman's family during a flea market in Spa in the late 1980s.

The USM1 helmet remains in untouched and as-found condition. The combat helmet features a period hand painted Colonel rank on the front. In the detailed photos below you can see that the helmet has never been cleaned and shows all the nice signs of what a true combat helmet should look like. Some wear along the rim and minor paint loss is naturally present. Factory applied early khaki short web strap is present, the long strap is missing. The helmet liner is in overall good worn condition. Interior remains all complete. Showing nice signs of period wear, some dust and oxidation naturally present. A perfect set with a very interesting historical provenance.