Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 401:
Description
USAAF A-11 Menihan Flight Helmet & AN-6530 Goggles. WWII U.S. Army Air Forces Type A-11 Intermediate Flying Helmet, Size Medium, Manufactured by J.G. Menihan Corporation, Order No. (33-038) 44-6558-AF, Paired with Correct AN-6530 Flying Goggles Offered here is a well-matched pairing of the two most recognizable pieces of American aircrew headgear from the Second World War: a leather Type A-11 intermediate flying helmet and its companion AN-6530 flying goggles. The helmet’s interior label reads TYPE A-11 / SPECIFICATION NO. 3189 / SIZE MEDIUM / STOCK NO. 8300-396015 / ORDER NO. (33-038) 44-6558-AF / J.G. MENIHAN CORPORATION / PROPERTY A.F. – U.S. ARMY, firmly dating manufacture to the 1944 fiscal-year procurement cycle. No individual recipient or unit assignment has been identified with this example, and no separate published biography exists; the story here rests with the equipment itself rather than any personal record. Standardized in August 1943, the A-11 quickly became the definitive intermediate flying helmet of the USAAF, worn by fighter pilots and bomber crewmen alike across both the European and Pacific Theaters through the war’s end. Its capeskin shell was engineered for a snug, low-profile fit beneath oxygen masks and radio gear, while its molded rubber receiver cups were sized to accept the ANB-H-1 earphones that kept aircrew in contact over the roar of engines at altitude. The accompanying AN-6530 goggles, adopted jointly by the Army and Navy in 1943 as a strengthened successor to the earlier B-7 pattern, remained standard protective eyewear for American airmen for the balance of the conflict, prized for their tubular brow ventilation and adjustable fit over the bulk of a flying helmet. Together, this helmet-and-goggle pairing represents the everyday working equipment of the American combat aviator, gear that would have accompanied countless missions flown from airfields across both theaters. The helmet displays a supple brown capeskin leather shell with light overall creasing consistent with genuine period handling, its chamois lining showing typical age toning and light soil from wear. Three fabric and leather goggle-retention straps remain fitted at the crown, and the exterior bears a crisp, legible white AAF winged-star insignia stencil to the left side above the ear cup. The external black molded-rubber receiver cups are intact and free of significant dry rot or fragmentation, retaining their oxygen-mask snap studs along the lower edge, while the woven interior manufacturer’s label remains clear and fully legible. The accompanying AN-6530 goggles retain their nickel-plated metal frames, stamped A-N 6530 to the right lens surround, showing light surface oxidation; the tubular brow vents and clear, intact glass lenses are set within a one-piece leather face cushion, and the adjustable elastic cloth strap shows some darkening and rust staining consistent with age. Condition throughout is very good for the type, with honest wear appropriate to genuine wartime manufacture. A handsome, display-ready pairing of a clearly marked and dated USAAF flying helmet with its correct period goggles, evoking the essential flight kit of the American airman in the closing years of the Second World War.
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