George Helms United States Navy Hat, Epaulettes and Belt USS Maine Survivor
Simply stunning grouping of military worn items from a survivor of the USS Maine sinking consisting of. A high-quality pair of French-made epaulettes with gold bullion fringe, Naval button, anchor, and lieutenant insignia bars, and a black sealskin fore and aft hat, or cocked hat, with gold bullion tassels; these are housed in their original black tin carrying case, 18.5 x 7 x 8. Navy officer’s belt rig, approximately 40 in length, which exhibits some dryness and flaking to leather. Lieutenant George Helms was a career Navy officer and the Chief Carpenter on the USS Maine when it exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. Helms enlisted in the United States Navy on December 10, 1894, and was one of 23 Naval officers and 60 enlisted sailors, as well as one Marine Corps officer and 11 Marine Corps enlisted men, that survived the Naval disaster, a catalyst to the 10-week-long Spanish-American War. In all 260 Naval and Marine personnel lost their lives as a result of the explosion and the subsequent sinking of the USS Maine. Helms served in the U. Navy for 34 years before his retirement on April 26, 1929. Helms is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the 94 survivors, 16 were uninjured. While we are not certain of the date that Helms wore these, they remain an incredible connection to one of history’s most famous events. A simply gorgeous grouping of vintage military gear with an amazing story to tell. We authored the Presidential Autographs chapter in the 7th Edition of The Sanders Autograph Price Guide. We guarantee the authenticity of this item with our written certification, without time limit. We are full-time autograph dealers specializing in Presidential, Historical and Sports collectibles. Additional information and/or images gladly sent promptly. Some images are stock photos for items we have multiples of. Please alert us if you would prefer not to receive these specials. Please view our other auctions for additional material including historical autographs, Steiner Sports and Yankees memorabilia and Presidential signatures. We are full-time autograph dealers. We appreciate your interest in Shafran Collectibles. The item “George Helms United States Navy Hat, Epaulettes and Belt USS Maine Survivor” is in sale since Monday, October 18, 2021. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\1919-38\Original Period Items”. The seller is “shafrancollectibles” and is located in East Meadow, New York. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States