Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 169:
Description
US Pattern Olive Drab Cotton Webbing Two-Piece Chin Straps/Chin Cups with Grommet Adjusters, Pair, Circa 1940s-1950s Offered here is a pair of original US military split-webbing chin straps, or chin cups, of the type fitted to steel helmet liners and specialized headgear from the World War II through Korean War era. No individual maker’s mark, unit stamp, or date is visible on either piece, and no separate published provenance accompanies the lot; the attribution rests on pattern, construction, and hardware consistent with documented US Army chin retention components of the period. Secure chin retention was a genuine operational concern for troops whose duties placed unusual stress on the helmet and liner assembly. Airborne personnel in particular required a chin fitting robust enough to withstand the opening shock of a parachute canopy without allowing the helmet to shift or be torn away, while dispatch riders, tank crewmen, and training cadre relied on similar split-cup fittings for their own liners and specialized helmets. The two-piece, split-webbing design seen in this lot – a central slotted opening that cradles the point of the chin, flanked by wings of heavy cotton webbing – was a standard solution across several helmet and liner patterns of the era, with blackened metal grommets set along each wing allowing the strap to be laced or buckled to studs on the shell or liner for an adjustable, secure fit. The pair comprises two straps of differing shade and weave: one in a lighter, yellowed khaki (OD#3-type) cotton twill with five grommets visible along each wing, and one in a darker, more heavily used tan (OD#7-type) herringbone twill with four grommets per wing. Faint pencil or ink lettering is visible on the reverse of the darker strap but is not legible in the photographs. Both straps retain their stitched central chin openings, with bar-tack reinforcement largely intact on each example. No helmet shell, liner, or additional insignia accompanies this lot; the two straps are offered as stand-alone webbing components. Condition is honest and service-worn: general soiling and toning of the cotton webbing, oxidation and finish loss to the blackened brass or steel grommets, and light fraying at several strap ends. The darker strap shows a distinct area of thread loss and fabric thinning between the first and second grommets at one terminus, with additional wear visible at the opposite tip; the lighter strap shows comparatively less fabric loss but similar overall toning and grommet wear. A solid, honestly-worn pair of period US chin retention straps, well suited to completing a WWII-era liner or helmet restoration project.
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