Hmm, that’s indeed strange for there should be one on the M35 helmet.
Yes I know it should be there, but as I said, as long as I have had the helmet, it has been in it’s current state.
If we assume for a moment that it is a genuine piece (like you said, fakes were probably rare as far back as '73) , it has certainly been repainted at some point, whether during the war (it was common pracice for troops to paint over the decals on their helmets in the later years, because as I understand it, it was felt that they made too nice a target) or post war, & it is perfectly possible that was when the swastika decal disappeared. So the lack of it doesn’t worry me too much.
BTW… if it is genuine it’s not an M1935 model, but an m1942. In order to make manufacure easier in mass production, the edge was left ‘raw’ after it was stamped out, & turned outwards, rather than rolled under as in the 1935 model.
If you look at the initial pics I posted you will see that the edge is turned out.
Right about this but the M42 was produced completely without decalls - also for mass production reasons.
Hmmmm… the plot thickens…
Anyway, I don’t know if these pics will help clear things up any, or just serve to muddy the waters even more. But here they are anyway.
First, a decent close up of the SS decal. In this shot it’s possible to see how the repaint has covered the black line around the edge of the decal somewhat.
The liner, & the helmet interior. Here you can see that the original color of the helmet was this very dark grey, or possibly black. Also you can see that the chinstrap D-rings are rounded, marking this as the second model liner band. The area cirlced is the hole in the liner…
Here you can see the area of the helmet shell that was at one time a hole, which correspomds with the hole in the liner…
Finally, the part of the outter shell of the helmet showing how the hole in it was filled at some time.
i found this pic off the web.
can you tell what the stamps are inside? EF M42 shell?
Yes, to be specific, it has EF64 stamped near the chinstrap D-ring, & the numbers 2513 (I think… it’s difficult to make them out, & impossible to photograph) on the rim at the rear of the shell.
Here’s a pic of the ‘EF’ number, it’s difficult to see, but it’s the best I could do.
Me too
Hi Staz, Looks like you have an original SS helmet. I ran it buy some friends who know SS decals and lids and here is what they have to say.
"Looks like a good EF to me. EF M42 shell?
Yup, I concur. Nice looking EF.
Original EF
I can’t find anything wrong with the decal either but it just doesn’t seem to match the wear on what we can see of the helmet around it. Is it possible that the decal was originally painted around or very carefully dug out? If it has been dug out that may explain the scrubbed looked.
I have to say I still think it is a good EF and the fact it sits on an EF shell sits good with me. The repainted shell also supports the scrubbed decal wear, I guess that someone cleaned this one before painting it.
It definitely has the breaks and correct angles of an original EF decal. Could have been scrubbed down during the War or even Post War…"
Yep, thanks… it does seem that way. One of your friends has surmised correctly, that the helmet was repainted around the decal, or possibly with the decal masked off. Either way, the current overall paintjob obviously isn’t original… especially since the repair which has been made to the hole in the helmet was repainted at the same time, dating the paint job to at least after the helmet saw action.
Anyway, thaks for taking the time. I have to say, I’m obviously glad it seems to be an original, but even if it wasn’t, it has always been & would continue to be a prized possession.
Have a couple new lids to show…A nice orig SD Heer named lid and a very cool Desert Camo. On this one they mixed sand in the paint and it was spred or brushed on.
it is definately a ww1 era helmet
This is a typical WW I helmet…the big tip off is the bolt on the side of the lid.
Staz,
do you have any other pics?
The helmet looks a bit long in the rear, but maybe its the photos.
More pics of Luft helmet ,got more if you want to see I also have a Fire Polizei Helmet l
Staz, what bugs me is the way the “bullet hole” looks… I can’t correctly see if the bullet hole is inward or outward - but from what I can see, it seems like a rather odd point of impact
If you ask me, it looks like the original owner either killed himself by putting the gun in his mouth or under his chin pointing upwards, or, if the bullet hole points inwards, was possibly executed while on his knees??
Maybe the hole was made after the guy died or got wounded?
Maybe it fell of and shrapenal got it?
I think that the photographs must be slightly confusing. The hole in the shell was definately made from the outside -in, & not the other way around (the steel is bent inwards, although it does appear to have been slightly bent back into place at the time the repair to the shell was made), & judging from what can be seen of the hole it is almost perfectly round, which would seem to eliminate a hole made by a piece of shrapnel, which would presumably make a more random jagged edge hole.
As for the hole being in a unusual place, I think you must be assuming that all combat soldiers face death directly & head on… something I think is unlikely. It would only have taken the wearer to dip his head slightly forward to facilitate the impact in this position.
I have made a couple of quick sketches, to illustrate how the hole in the helmet could have come about, a soldier taking cover on the ground, or advancing under fire… of course, he could just as easily have been sat with his head down reading the paper while taking a shit :D… I guess we’ll never know.
