Comparison of a Hungarian Model 50 and a Russian Ssh40 helmet. In these pictures the Hungarian helmet is the dark green one. The helmet shap and the rivet locations are very similar. The interior and the chin strap are different. Now you understand that the hungarian helmet is often offered as a Russian Ssh40. For me as a collector it does not matter I value them both as equal.
I present you my Russian Ssh 40 helmet. This helmet is in a very good condition despite his age. It was made in 1956. I found Ssh stands for stalnoy shlyem and means steel helmet. The model 40 has been in use from 1940 into the seventies. The Ssh 40 was the successor of the pre-ww2 Ssh39. The only difference is the used liner system. For pictures of the liner see part 2
Continuation from Russian Ssh40 helmet part 1 What I like about this helmet are the many stamps and inscriptions at the inside. Information on worl war helemts.com tells me P = POCT means size. Size 1 = Small There where 3 sizes: 1 = Small 2 = Medium 3= Large Ct = manufacturer Stalingradskiye Traktorskiye 56 = year of production = 1956 Besides this stamp, there is a stamp telling this helmet is accepted for servie "46". There is also a lot code 1 - 1138.
These pictures show my Dutch steel helmet model 53 "Troepenhelm" it is a USA M1helmet clone. This model has been used by the Dutch army from 1953 upto the mid 90ties. I found a lot of information about this helmet on http://dutchhelmets.nl troepenhelm model 1953
My helmet is made in 1958 by the German company Linnemann-Schnetzer. See the inscription LS58 393 393 is a lot code
The stamp shows: "CONTROLE 637 ICW", the 637 Intendance Centrale Werkplaats (Intendance Central Workshop) at Woerden. Here were the turned in duffel bags by the conscripted soldiers, after their service in the army, checked/sorted and washed. For more about Conscription see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription In The Netherlands Constription is still in the Law but since 1997 no one is drafted into active service anymore.
continued from part 1 After passing the: "CONTROLE 637 ICW", the 637 Intendance Centrale Werkplaats (Intendance Central Workshop) at Woerden the helmet shells and liners were put together again without paying any attention on what combination. Thats why you can see a 1958 helmet shell made by Linnemann-Schnetzer, with a 1953 liner made by Verblifa.
My 1958 helmet shell came with this 1953 liner: v v v v v
These are pictures of a Dutch Model 53. This helmet shell is made by Verblifa: see https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verblifa The inscription shows VB57 1S2 VB = Verblifa 57 = 1957 year of production. 1S2 is the lot code.
This helmet has the typical Dutch made camouflage. A piece of sackcloth or jute with brown painted dots, I haven't found any information yet, but I think this is made by the Centrale Werkplaatsen, or the ICW 637. I have been told by former Dutch conscripted soldiers they were handed out a piece of sackcloth together with the helmet at the beginning of their conscription. they had to camouflage their helmet themselves with the jute.
In this case there is a net placed over the jute to hold it in place, some times they used a rubber band to hold the jute in place.
v This picture shows the stamp "Controle 637 I.C.W.
After passing the: "CONTROLE 637 ICW", the 637 Intendance Centrale Werkplaats (Intendance Central Workshop) at Woerden the helmet shells and liners were put together again without paying any attention on what combination. Thats why you can see a 1957 helmet shell made by Verblifa, with a 1987 liner made by NV BECCON.
N.v. Beccon, that existed from 1921 until 1993, was located in Doetinchem. One of the directors was Mr b. Becking. The name Beccon stands for Becking and Conijn. It was a metal pressing plant and emaillefabriek, and later also a galvanizing plant. There were petroleum and pans created, and further for example street signs. In a letter of 11 december 1936 to the municipality Bergh is informed that in note 18 street signs are taken according to the information you provide against the cleanliness of contents f. 1.25 per piece NET. On 30 november 1944, towards the end of the second world war, the factory bombed by Allied aircraft. A Department that came with the Germans was in use, was destroyed, and part of the factory was in ashes. Director Becking is killed in this attack, as well as its Managing Director Schultz, a worker and three German soldiers. The day before was still present at the funeral in Becking Azewijn by Zeno Door Frost, which likewise factory Director was. The company was, along with Vredestein, one of the first who are establised on the Hamburger industrieterrien pants. In 2004 has been in the hands of Intermeco. In 2008 are the premises, located a the north side of the track and to the East of the Misset Street, demolished.
This is a more recent Dutch Model 53 Troepenhelm lot 02/92 U's The lot code is 02 The production year is 1992 The manufacturer is U's = Ulbrichts Witwe Ulbrichts Witwe GmbH Kaufing 34 4690 Schwanenstadt Österreich http://www.ulbrichts.com/
Continued from part 1 This is the liner of my 1992 M53 Also made by Ulbrichts Witwe GmbH http://www.ulbrichts.com/ This liner is made in 1993 Us93 This is possibly a helmet shell and liner combination that has been allways together as one set.
These are pictures of the liner that came with my M1 helmet. There are no markings inside.
I think this could be a post war Dutch liner. To my knowledge, the Dutch liner is the only one using nuts and bolts to hold the head bands. If I'm wrong let me know.
The locking system this shell has is a typical US system but the one in this picture is not complete, it is missing the little ball
This is the helmet shell that started my collection, many years ago. It was used on a farm to feed the pigs, I thought about restoring it but I decided to leave it as is. I painted the star and the flag on it and I installed foam in it. Front seam and it had fixed bails.
v The picture above shows the inscriptions in this helmet. FM56 I don't know what the FM means, the 56 could be the size.
There is also a number in the front, at the inside 253 followed by a little anchor. This little anchor tells us this helmet was ment for use by Regia Marina, the Italian Royal Navy.
These are pictures of a post WW2 Italian model 933/47. The biggest difference between the pre-war and post-war model 933 is the chin strap. The pre WW2 model 933 has a leather chin strap, the post WW2 has a canvas chin strap since 1947.
v The inscription in the helmet is M38, M is the indication for the manufacturer, but I have not yet found who this manufacturer was. The inscription in the liner is M60
M is again the indication for the manufacturer. 60 is the helmet size.
These are pictures of my second post WW2 Italian model 933/47. This one is in a very good condition. The biggest difference between the pre-war and post-war model 933 is the chin strap. The pre WW2 model 933 has a leather chin strap, the post WW2 has a canvas chin strap since 1947.
British MKIII BMB 1944 reused by the Netherlands "Bescherming Bevolking. See the typical color, post war used by the BB I'm very Lucky I obtained this helmet. See the next article for pictures of the MKIII used by the Bescherming Bevolking
v v v v v v v This is the typical Dutch post war liner system:
Here we see the BMB MK III Briggs Motor Bodies of Dagenham Dock, Essex. Lot code 82 Year of manufacturing 1944 v Back to List of Helmets
These are pictures of my Canadian made Mark II helmet
This helmet has been reused by the Belgian Army after the war. I'm very pleased with this helmet, it still has the Belgian flag on it. In many cases this flag got removed to make it look more like a war time helmet, this way sellers hoped to make more money. I love this helmet with the Belgian flag, besides the flag you can see it was also painetd in the typical Belgian green color. Where this post war green paint faded of you can recognize its Original Canadian green. The liner is a post war Belgian made by the company Sartel. I found some information about Sartel at: https://www.rtc.be/video/info/economie/oupeye-reaffectation-du-site-sartel_1457759_325.html
Sunday January 21 2018, we have visited the Army Show at the MECC in Maastricht. http://www.armyshowmaastricht.nl/ It was an indoor event with militaria fair, army vehicles and tanks, life entertainment, re-enactment and a veteran area. It was not a very big event but since I don't live far a way from Maastricht it was worth a visit. I was very happy to meet Bruce Crompton and a Dutch national hero Major Marco Kroon.
I'm very proud to have meet and greet Major Marco Kroon Carier of the highest Dutch military medal the Willems-Orde A real national hero. A second and the most recent receiver of the willems-orde is Major Gijs Tuinman
Personally I'm a fan of the Bersaglieri. This is the Fanfara Bersaglieri Bergamo, I had the opportunity to see them perform life at the internationale taptoe the Oostende. It was great. They sounded live even better then in these videos.
Found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bersaglieri While in the past the mobility of the Bersaglieri manifested itself in running and the use of bicycles, regiments currently in service are all mechanised. The modern Bersaglieri have served, as part of the GaribaldiBersaglieri Brigade, as peacekeepers in the Multinational Force in Lebanon, and in Yugoslav and Somali Civil Wars, and were also active in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bersaglieri traditions are still stressed. The Bersaglieri collar patches are crimson-red "flames". Enlisted troops still wear the red fez. Officers wear black berets with their ordinary uniforms, but the feathered "vaira" in ceremonial uniform. They also wear black gloves, while other Italian regiments wear white ones. Each Bersaglieri unit had a band called a "fanfara", who played their instruments at the run while on parade. The "fanfara" does not contain percussion instruments.
1st Bersaglieri Regiment with the "La Marmora" battalion in Cosenza as part of the GaribaldiBersaglieri Brigade 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment with the "Poggio Scanno" battalion in Teulada as part of the SassariMechanizedBrigade 6th Bersaglieri Regiment with the "Palestro" battalion in Trapani as part of the AostaMechanized Brigade 7th Bersaglieri Regiment with the "Bezzecca" battalion in Bari as part of the PineroloMechanized Brigade 8th Bersaglieri Regiment with the "Cernaia" battalion in Caserta as part of the Garibaldi Bersaglieri Brigade 11th Bersaglieri Regiment with the "Caprera" battalion in Orcenico Superiore as part of the ArieteArmoured Brigade The 1st, 8th and 11th Bersaglieri regiments serve in their traditional role as tracked mechanized infantry in the army's two heavy brigades, while the 3rd, 6th and 7th Bersaglieri regiments are the third manoeuvre element in wheeled mechanized infantry brigades.
Another M1 clone this Austrian Model 75, Stahlhelm Type 1 This helmet is made by the company Heinrich Ulbrichts Witwe. This helmet shell is made in the year 1963. The company still makes helmets, see http://www.ulbrichts.com/ See part 2 for the liner belonging to this shell.
These are pictures of a Belgium Model 49FN Navy This ZM / FN helmet from 1951 manufactured by the company X.B. Xavier Buisset from Vilvoorde. ZM = Zeemacht (Dutch) FN = Force Naval (French) both mean Sea Power or Navy.
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