Identified personal item
Helmet and Liner identified to Pfc. Alton J. Skelly
Very rare 83rd Infantry Division helmet identified to Alton J. Skelly. The 83rd never marked their helmets but only the liners. The helmet shell itself is a front seam fixed bail Schlueter with steel hardware. On the interior is the partial ASN (Laundry number) of S-7588 which matches to Alton Skelly’s Army Serial Number #33297588. The liner is a later war Capac with blackened A- Washers and is all complete. Painted on the front is the unit patch of the 83rd Infantry Division. The helmet came out of a yard sale in Pennsylvania, and after finding Skelly's info it tied it in a little better that it would make sense since he was from Erie, Pennsylvania. It only has his partial ASN on the lid but the chances of someone pairing up a lid and a liner like this to make a 100% match I would say is almost impossible. I do think the liner was put with the helmet shell during the war. There's rust patterns that match perfectly on the liner and shell as well as where the scuffs are in the ASN that you can see the paint transfer to the liner..
This compleet helmet once belong to Pfc. Alton J. Skelly (#33297588) who was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 330 Infantry Regiment.
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Pfc. Alton J. Skelly
Private First Class
Alton J. Skelly
Private First Class Alton J. Skelly
Alton Joseph Skelly was born on October 6, 1919 at Summit Township, Pennsylvania as the son of Maud Emily Hugger (1887–1964) and Elroy D Skelly (1884–1965). He resided in the Erie County area his entire life. He was a 1938 graduate of Fairview High School.
Alton Joseph Skelly enlisted in the Army on October 8, 1942, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He married Norma Jane Schluraff on March 16, 1943, in Erie, Pennsylvania. They had one child during their marriage, Alton Joseph Skelly Jr. (1946-). Alton Sr. served in the US Army during World War Two in the European Theater in the intelligence Corp, assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion of the 330 Infantry Regiment. For his service he was awarded, among other decorations, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the European African Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
After the war, Alton Skelly graduated from Edinboro University in 1953. He taught physics, chemistry, and honors math in the Conneaut Lake School District. He was employed at and retired from GE in 1983 where he was an engineering technician. As a WWII veteran, he was a lifetime member of the Fairview American Legion Post 742. He enjoyed playing chess, playing cards especially 500 and pinochle.
Alton J. Skelly Sr. died on January 8, 2007 at Fairview Manor at age 87. At the time of his dead, his wife, Beverly J. (Andrews) Skelly survive Alton. Alton Skelly was preceded in death by his first wife, Norma Jane (Schluraff) Skelly (1923-1969). Alton J. Skelly is buried at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, Erie, Pennsylvania, Location, 01A, 65B, 2. In 2017 during the 83rd Reunion in Cleveland, Ohio, I made the trip to Erie to visit Alton Skelly's grave.