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H067557 M42 CAMOUFLAGED COMBAT HELMET. (Stahlhelm M42)
BACKGROUND:
The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935. In an effort to reduced construction time and labor costs minor modifications were introduced in March 1940 resulting in the M40 helmet. Further construction modifications were undertaken in August 1942 resulting in the M42 helmet. Originally the Third Reich national tri-color helmet decal was introduced on March 14TH 1933 for wear on the left side of the helmet to replace the Reichsmarine era crossed anchor shield insignia. Regulations of February 17TH 1934 introduced the Wehrmacht eagle decal and the national tri-color decal was shifted to the right side of the helmet with the Wehrmacht eagle decal positioned on the left hand side. Kriegsmarine regulations of July 17TH 1941 dictated that the national tri-color decal was to be removed from all helmets and further regulations of August 28TH 1943 abolished the Wehrmacht eagle decal and dictated that it was also to be removed from all helmets although the directives were not completely adhered to.PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The stamped, sheet steel construction helmet retains about 90% of its slightly rough textured, camouflage over-paint in random splotches of yellowish/tan, brown and green paints with a few small scuffs and scrapes to the original, underlying, field-grey paint and the base metal with light surface spotting. All three liner retaining rivets are intact. The interior of the helmet is in a slightly textured, heavily applied, field-grey paint. The interior of the helmet also has a tan, M31 leather liner with all eight fingers and the original tie string intact. The liner shows light chafe wear to the edges some minor surface cracking and light to moderate age and usage toning. The liner is well marked with a faint, illegible, purple size inkstamp, and the hand written owners name with the rank prefix, "Matr.", indicating Matrose, (Sailor). The heavily applied field-grey paint has obscured any serial number and the manufacturer’s code and size stamps. The helmet comes complete with a blackened leather chinstrap with a pronged, natural steel, length adjustment buckle and alloy retaining studs intact. The chinstrap shows moderate chafe wear and some minor surface cracks. The reverse of the chinstrap has a faint, illegible, impressed manufacturer’s markings.
GRADE ***1/2 PRICE $2,925.00
To Order this item, please use one of the two e-mail addresses below to contact us. Please make sure to quote the item number in your e-mail
-E-Mail Address pawmac@nbnet.nb.ca Or guild@nb.aibn.com
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