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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 14:43:41 GMT -5
Question for my 'socialist' amigos.....  I noticed on eGay the other day that China is starting to produce cheap steel stahlhelms- cgi.ebay.com/German-Army-Military-MOD-M35-Steel-Airsoft-Helmet-OD_W0QQitemZ360232128056QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53df820e38I've always wanted a nice German helmet but just can't bring myself to actually wear the uniform, so I thought, well, why not get one of these and have it as a 'war trophy' to carry around- Yeah, yeah, I know all the stuff about G.I's not wanting to 'get caught' with German stuff if they were captured, but we all know it happened, so.... So here is my 'real' question: They will send you a helmet in any color you want and put whatever decals you want on it- So I started thinking about what 'version' I would want you know? Putting myself in 'character' what would I have wanted back then? I would imagine that most of the helmets we would have found would have been Heer or Wermacht right? So the gray or green color with the tri-color decal on one side and the eagle carrying swastika on the other right? But if I'm a G.I. looking for souvenirs, personally, knowing that I may get in trouble either with my superiors or with 'the other guys' if I'm captured, if I'm going to do it, I think I would want a 'unique' piece you know? something that all my buddies weren't collecting- So to a line doggie in late '44 and into '45, what would have been more unique, a nice black SS stahlhelm or a nice blue Luftwaffe helmet? or maybe a Normandy camo'd one?? Ohh how about a nice whitewashed Bulge helmet? What do y'all think? Whatever I end up with, It'll be 'weathered' by me to look accurate and not brand new, who knows maybe a nice 'strategically' placed hole in the temple....  |
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Post by max1337 on Feb 8, 2010 16:01:47 GMT -5
the helmet from the guy that you shot.
there were practically no black helmets anymore in 1944, most helmets have been sent back and refitted and repainted in field gray, and decals removed.
If you want a rare helmet, it would probably be like double decals M40, since there was only so much available. Or something with a tiny shell size or a ultra large shell size and matching liners respectively. Or you can go get a police helmet.
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Post by Fusilier on Feb 8, 2010 16:58:47 GMT -5
Question for my 'socialist' amigos..... I noticed on eGay the other day that China is starting to produce cheap steel stahlhelms- cgi.ebay.com/German-Army-Military-MOD-M35-Steel-Airsoft-Helmet-OD_W0QQitemZ360232128056QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53df820e38I've always wanted a nice German helmet but just can't bring myself to actually wear the uniform, so I thought, well, why not get one of these and have it as a 'war trophy' to carry around- Yeah, yeah, I know all the stuff about G.I's not wanting to 'get caught' with German stuff if they were captured, but we all know it happened, so.... So here is my 'real' question: They will send you a helmet in any color you want and put whatever decals you want on it- So I started thinking about what 'version' I would want you know? Putting myself in 'character' what would I have wanted back then? I would imagine that most of the helmets we would have found would have been Heer or Wermacht right? So the gray or green color with the tri-color decal on one side and the eagle carrying swastika on the other right? But if I'm a G.I. looking for souvenirs, personally, knowing that I may get in trouble either with my superiors or with 'the other guys' if I'm captured, if I'm going to do it, I think I would want a 'unique' piece you know? something that all my buddies weren't collecting- So to a line doggie in late '44 and into '45, what would have been more unique, a nice black SS stahlhelm or a nice blue Luftwaffe helmet? or maybe a Normandy camo'd one?? Ohh how about a nice whitewashed Bulge helmet? What do y'all think? Whatever I end up with, It'll be 'weathered' by me to look accurate and not brand new, who knows maybe a nice 'strategically' placed hole in the temple.... >> No decals would be more correct for the late War period. MAYBE one decal on the left side. The tri-color decal was ordered removed after 1940. BTW, Luftwaffe helmets weren't BLUE,they're grey/blue,more like a dark grey. And at that period of the War a lot of Luft helmets were camo painted by the men in the field divisions. Allso, how many helmets have you seen with bullet holes in them?? |
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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 18:28:04 GMT -5
Right on, thanks men! So to be a bit clearer, I'm not looking for a helmet purely from its 'uniqueness' (even though I did say that  ) So I wouldn't have been looking for the Police or over-sized or under-sized helms, I meant as a US G.I. back then, what would the most 'desirable' souvenir be to have? I would think that to the average Joe, an SS helmet would have been cool- and the Luft helmets are just cool to me maybe... @ Fusilier: 1.) They may well be "gray/blue" but they are referred to as "Luftwaffe Blue" in everything I've read, so... "Feldblau" that isn't 'blue' ? 2.) Helmets with bullet holes in them? uh...hundreds? Search 'Battlefield relic' in teh Googles Thanks again gentlemen, I knew you guys would give me expert guidance! And I didn't have a clue about what would have been in the field in '44/'45 so that is all excellent feedback. So your saying there is no way someone would have found a black SS stahlhelm late in the war? and the tricolor decals were removed after '40? I'm confused because you certainly have those as real bring-back trophies from the war, so....how did they get them? |
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Post by max1337 on Feb 8, 2010 19:04:08 GMT -5
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kalbs
Master sergeant 
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Post by kalbs on Feb 8, 2010 19:21:49 GMT -5
Note that the China M35's sold are 68 size shells while the M40's and M42's are 66 size shells. Also, the liner shown on the link is more the late war cheap thin pig skin. If you can find it, look for a older made repro M35, the liner is much better. How about a Paratrooper helmet? They make nice repros of those too. careful with the decals they provide, you would be better getting some aftermarket rub on types from here: www.military-steel-helmets-and-decals.com/ They are excellent Regarding the late war double decal, this is very rare but could be found on police helmets and other smaller branches. I have seen some pictures in one of my helmet books even showing this on SS M42's. I assume they were non-combat helmets and even the author notes they were very, very rare. |
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Post by Fusilier on Feb 8, 2010 19:35:58 GMT -5
So your saying there is no way someone would have found a black SS stahlhelm late in the war? and the tricolor decals were removed after '40? I'm confused because you certainly have those as real bring-back trophies from the war, so....how did they get them?
>>
The Allegemeine SS wore the black stahlhelms,with the ss decals on one side and the red,black and white swastika decal on the left side. These were worn with the black DRESS uniform of the Leibstandarte in Berlin,NOT by combat troops. Hence,it would be VERY rare for a regular GI to pick one of these up unless he was in Berlin AFTER the War.
On a side note,my Uncle brought back a Luftwaffe firemans BLACK helmet along with a regular single decal Luftwaffe M40,and a Luftschutz helmet.
The black helmet was that odd shaped Polizei helmet with the short square shaped sides. Double decal,tri color on the right,Luftwaffe on the left,along with a thin white,or luminous band painted around it.
He was in the Army Air Corps,so he got them at an abandoned Luftwaffe airfield in France in late '44.
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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 19:39:22 GMT -5
Right, well when I saw these for under $100 bucks, thats what intrigued me- (actually like $40 plus shipping, so to me, 'cheap') And thats really why I became interested- I've already got a nice, expensive US repro pot, so again, I was pulled in by it being cheap. For that price I wouldn't feel bad about beating the hell out of it and weathering it and putting a nice hole in it lol
And this would be something that I stuffed in a duffle for reenactments and such, with a bullet hole in it, I'm not thinking it would be good to be caught by the enemy with it in the field... ;-)
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Post by shadycadence on Feb 8, 2010 19:43:29 GMT -5
Oh, please don't waste $50 on that. I'm no stitch nazi, and I think that just looks wrong. The stahlhelm is an iconic thing, and as such easy to spot if it's not shaped right.
For a unique souvenir, ask around for anyone with an old damaged tunic they're saving for scrap wool, and ask them to rip the breast pocket off and send it to you. Then add an EK, close combat badge and a wound badge and there you go, the perfect covert souvenir. Impressive to look at, but easily stashed/concealed/disposed of as required.
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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 19:45:05 GMT -5
Yeah those Luftschutz ones are bizzare- they remind me of the flak helmets the Navy wore in WWII-
Thanks Fusilier, all great info!
Ok, so no go on the black SS- that's cool..
So if I 'narrowed' it down to these 3 options, tell me what the appropriate decals would be- (and is water transfer better or dry transfer?)
-White-washed from the Bulge:
-Camo'd from Normandy:
-Luftwaffe Feldblau:
* Shady- What, the 'shape' of those is wrong? Yikes you nazi's and your fashions....ha! US had a pretty much 'one size fits all' arrangement...
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Post by CharleyNovember on Feb 8, 2010 19:53:45 GMT -5
Nazis - Evil but snappy dressers, that damn Hugo Boss.
As far as souveniers logically a big ass bulky helmet is the last thing I want to carry all over Europe or try and send back home to the folks. It happened but I would look at little souveniers like medals and ribbons, pistols, pictures, rings. My wifes Grandfather brought back a wedding ring.
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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 20:05:03 GMT -5
I believe I read somewhere that most of the souvenir hunting occurred closer to the end of the war- Early in the war troops were prohibited, in the middle they wouldn't do much in case they were captured, but at the end it was a free-for-all (e.g. Band of Brothers and Berchtesgaden) But, with all the pics I've seen of stacks and stacks of stahlhelms from Signal Corps archives and all, you would think that if it truly was 'common' that there would be hundreds of them on ebay for sale today. I mean at the end of the war, I bet they were swimming in those things. So there must have been some heat applied by the brass not to do that- I don't know.
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Post by shadycadence on Feb 8, 2010 20:19:43 GMT -5
It could just be the photography, maybe the lens he was using, but it just don't look right. I seriously did the RCA dog thing looking at it.  The crown seems too rounded from one angle, too elongated from another. And the transition seems too subtle. Just get a real one. Regardless of what it looks like, it will always be a real German helmet. (and thus, continue to be worth something) |
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Post by Fusilier on Feb 8, 2010 20:34:00 GMT -5
Nazis - Evil but snappy dressers, that damn Hugo Boss. As far as souveniers logically a big ass bulky helmet is the last thing I want to carry all over Europe or try and send back home to the folks. It happened but I would look at little souveniers like medals and ribbons, pistols, pictures, rings. My wifes Grandfather brought back a wedding ring. >> My Uncle brought home the following: M40 Luftwaffe stahlhelm Luftwaffe fire helmet Lufschutz helmet Gas mask and can Set of 98k ammo pouches 2- 98k bayonets. Me, like a dumbass sold the Luftschutz and the fire helmet! He was kinda rear echelon, so he had time to snatch up all that stuff. |
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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 20:38:31 GMT -5
It could just be the photography, maybe the lens he was using, but it just don't look right. I seriously did the RCA dog thing looking at it. The crown seems too rounded from one angle, too elongated from another. And the transition seems too subtle. Just get a real one. Regardless of what it looks like, it will always be a real German helmet. (and thus, continue to be worth something) No, I appreciate the advice and feedback Shady, but thats the exact reason that this became interesting to me, for $80 bucks or whatever, I'm not going to feel bad at all about abusing and distressing the helmet- if it was a real pot, or an expensive repro, I wouldn't have the same freedom- I'd be all worried about its value and all- These are toys to me- when they become something different, or more 'valuable' then that will ruin it for me...  |
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Post by Guinness on Feb 8, 2010 20:41:23 GMT -5
Ha! my uncle brought back some German shrapnel... You could only see it if you went with him to the Dr and looked at his x-ray though.... ;-)
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Post by hairy apple on Feb 8, 2010 21:10:37 GMT -5
Nazis - Evil but snappy dressers, that damn Hugo Boss. As far as souveniers logically a big ass bulky helmet is the last thing I want to carry all over Europe or try and send back home to the folks. It happened but I would look at little souveniers like medals and ribbons, pistols, pictures, rings. My wifes Grandfather brought back a wedding ring. >> My Uncle brought home the following: M40 Luftwaffe stahlhelm Luftwaffe fire helmet Lufschutz helmet Gas mask and can Set of 98k ammo pouches 2- 98k bayonets. Me, like a dumbass sold the Luftschutz and the fire helmet! He was kinda rear echelon, so he had time to snatch up all that stuff. My best friend when I was a kid had a full germen officer uniform, complete with helmet, daggers, ribbons, ect. in there closet. His grandpa caught the officer off guard, told him to surender, the officer refused to surender to a privite so he said something like "fine, I'll shoot you instead"... her changed his mined. My girlfriend's brother in law has a Browning hipower with nazi markings his grandpa brought back. One of the coolest guns I've seen. His grandpa did every combat jump with the 82nd without a scratch. |
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mccallion
Private 1st Class
Official Road Sign Reader (retired)
Posts: 770
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Post by mccallion on Feb 11, 2010 14:44:28 GMT -5
i talked to a tank crewman once that took a german pow and got everything off of that guy except his underwear, he still has it all
now back to the stalhelm
mccallion
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werekiss
Private
If you look past the picture, you can see a spaceship ;)
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Post by werekiss on Feb 11, 2010 17:50:36 GMT -5
i talked to a tank crewman once that took a german pow and got everything off of that guy except his underwear, he still has it all now back to the stalhelm mccallion He must have been cold in the winter eh? |
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oberst42
Private
"Oh du Deutschland, ich muss marschieren!"
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Post by oberst42 on Jul 13, 2010 17:37:31 GMT -5
i talked to a tank crewman once that took a german pow and got everything off of that guy except his underwear, he still has it all now back to the stalhelm mccallion lol, that must've been awkward |
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Post by ssgjoe on Jan 27, 2014 20:29:42 GMT -5
Another good trophy commonly taken would have been a Luger. You should get one. |
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Post by ssgjoe on Jan 27, 2014 20:33:50 GMT -5
My great grandpa came home with a Japanese bullet from Iwo Jima. But about stealing a dead Germans wedding ring as stated above, I know this is a light conversation, but honestly that's kind of disrespectful.
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Post by tango on Jan 30, 2014 12:38:39 GMT -5
He didn't indicate if the German was dead or alive when he took the ring. In my opinion, getting worked up about what some soldiers did to other soldiers during a war almost 70 years ago isn't worth it. Much more productive to remember it happened and include details like that in your impression to educate yourself and others. If I do a Berlin impression maybe I will acquire a German watch or two.  |
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Post by ssgjoe on Jan 30, 2014 19:31:01 GMT -5
Yeah. I'm not too worked up, I just wouldn't do it. But there are countless stories of wedding photos being stolen and such.
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) So I wouldn't have been looking for the Police or over-sized or under-sized helms, I meant as a US G.I. back then, what would the most 'desirable' souvenir be to have? I would think that to the average Joe, an SS helmet would have been cool- and the Luft helmets are just cool to me maybe...
The crown seems too rounded from one angle, too elongated from another. And the transition seems too subtle.
