A Police M1916-17 Steel Helmet

[SCHUPO]

Gents,

To complement the excellent article on Austrian Model 1916-1918 steel helmets posted by tony v. here is another variation.

This is an interesting example of a long serving Police helmet Stahlhelm variation. This helmet started out life as a Model 1916 WWI steel shell Austrian helmet. Probably one of 486,000 German made helmets issued to Austrian forces during WWI. It was manufactured in Germany or Austria with a revised Model 1917 liner, made with a steel liner band, and after the war it was used by the Austrian Police. The rather distinctive brown leather chinstrap is property marked to the Steyrmark district of the Land Gendarmerie. The Gendarmerie armorers drilled two small holes on the left side of the helmet dome next to the lugs for attachment of a brass flaming grenade plate. These secured a brass flaming grenade as the insignia of the Austrian Gendarmerie. When Austria then became part of the German Reich as the Ostmark, all Austrian Policemen took off their steel helmets and held up their right hands and took the oath to become German Policemen. Austrian/German armorers once again quickly modified these M1916 helmets by brush painting them green and they then attached new German Police decals to these helmets to be worn by Austrian Policemen with their new Model 1936 green German Schutzpolizei uniforms. These WWI period helmets continued to serve during WWII. After the end of the war the Austrian Police were once again stood up and Austrian Police armorers painted over the decals in "Gendarmerie Grey" or "Police Green". These helmets served in Austria through the 1950s according to Ludwig Baer in his book, "The History of the German Steel Helmet 1916-1945".

 

[HatEnjoyer]

Very cool, interesting to see that your piece was denazified at some point in its life.

 

[Kaiser Wilhelm II]

Interesting, I have never heard of Austrian altered WWI helmets, and I have never thought much of the Austrian military transition into German in 1938. This confused me at first before I read the text, as I has never seen an Altered helmet without the German M1931 Liner. Very interesting, and thank you for posting.

 

[SCHUPO]

Thank you for your comments.

HatEnjoyer, the Germans & Austrians wasted nothing and had a robust refurbishment and re-issue regime that almost ensured reworking equipment to bring older model items up to then current standards, Thus, moving from the M1916 leather liner band to the then new M1917 steel liner band when leather became scarce. This penchant for refurbishment is also shown in the various repaints. So, my helmet (and all others like it) had its original circa 1917 Austrian paint finish until the end of the war when these helmets were repainted and had the little brass grenades attached to the left side via the two holes drilled by Austrian armorers. As tony v. pointed out the original Austrian army color was something close to "earth brown". Some wound up a greenish color that tended to fade. The Police painted their helmets "Police green" or "Gendarmerie grey" between and after the wars. They were repainted with a brush "Police green" in 1938 and the decals were put on the sides over this coat of paint while the brass grenade was removed leaving two small holes next to the Police eagle decal. The decals were subsequently removed or painted over after 1945.

Another thing is to look closely to the line of Wien Municipal Policemen swearing their oath in the above photo. Notice they are wearing paper mache oak leaves attached to the left side of their helmets. This leaf grouping was worn on parade by both the Army and Police before and after WWII. Also notice the distinctive brown leather liner fingers have their string holes re-enforced with brown metal eyelets. Also notice the distinctive brown leather chin strap worn by the Police instead of the cloth chin strap worn by the Austrian Army. Subtle differences in the helmets done over time of use from circa 1917 to 1963.

Kaiser Wilhelm II, Ludwig Baer does an excellent job of discussing these steel helmet variations. As the recognized authority on the subject he backs up his thoughts with various regulations and protocols issued during the different time periods. And, yes most collectors miss the merging of Austria with Germany and what it meant to the army and police forces. A really interesting subject but one can go down the rabbit hole if one is not careful.

 

[Matts89]

Hi, I recently purchased this 1917 Austrian helmet and I noticed it says SS police panzer division. I don’t know anything about it but noticed the one in the thread is the same.

Any info will be appreciated, especially if the stamp is real. I have a video of it but didn’t think it would upload so I took some screenshots.

Thanks

 

[SCHUPO]

Interesting!

I have not seen this particular re-work before. I notice the rivet in the back seems to be different than the rest? I also see the Police decals are the correct ones applied in the proper manner. I see that the two holes that were made for the brass Austrian Gendarmerie flaming grenade have been filled in instead of being left as open holes which are in the proper spot.

I see that the new liner replaced the WWI period Austrian liner and is made of the same light brown soft leather used by the Austrians. Same observation with the chin strap. This helmet looks to me like a later refurbishment than the one that I show. It seems credible to me.

As to the validity of the markings, I know that the Austrian Gendarmerie Armorers tended to property mark their leather liners as can be seen on the chinstrap of the Police helmet I showed above. The German Police tended to leave existing property markings intact but not mark new ones. However, the Austrians tended to continue to apply them. I will also mention that the Police Panzer school was located in Austria ("Armored Vehicles and Units of the German Order Police 1936-1945" Werner Regenberg).

Is your helmet painted with a brush or a sprayer? Does it have any other markings?

I hope this is helpful.

 

[Matts89]

Hi, thanks for your information. It looks like it’s been painted with a brush. I have a video of it but it won’t let me upload it. Happy to send it to you if you want to email me - [email protected]

I can’t see any other markings but I didn’t look closely. I’ve paid for it and collecting it at the weekend. I usually like to do my own research to get a valuation but as it’s out of my knowledge area would you know a rough price it might fetch as I bought it to sell on.

In your opinion do you think the SS police marking is genuine ?

Many thanks ,

Matt

 

[Doug B]

Hi Matt

I’ve a “little” experience with SS and SS Polezei helmets in particular transitional and Austrian helmets and I can pretty much guarantee that the stamp is a postwar add on to add value.

As for the decals your photos are not near enough of the quality and sharpness required to see if they are original. They look like they may have been exposed from under a layer of paint as there appears to be extensive rubbing to them and you can see paint removed around the perimeter of the decals. Rubbing decals is also a sign of deception fakers use to conceal the details in fake decals. There also appears to be a decal under the police decal. But without clearer photos it’s impossible to tell if all is original or postwar added.

I do not like the replacement liner pins / rivets, my guess is the liner may have been postwar added and rarely if ever are the holes from the flaming bomb filled in like that in interwar helmet refurbishments. They are typically open as in the example from the OP (original poster).

If you can post head on clear in focus hi res photos of the decals and pins you can get a more precise opinion.

 

[HatEnjoyer]

Hi, I recently purchased this 1917 Austrian helmet and I noticed it says SS police panzer division. I don’t know anything about it but noticed the one in the thread is the same.

Any info will be appreciated, especially if the stamp is real. I have a video of it but didn’t think it would upload so I took some screenshots.

Thanks

I suggest you post this to the German Helmet Walhalla. Their primary focus is WWII German headgear, so I think they’ll be able to help. The only problem about that forum though is that you have to become a paying member in order to upload a collection of photos.

 

[Doug B]

I suggest you post this to the German Helmet Walhalla. Their primary focus is WWII German headgear, so I think they’ll be able to help. The only problem about that forum though is that you have to become a paying member in order to upload a collection of photos.

I’d agree. I used to be the owner of the GHW forum back in the day when was free. This photo was a small part of my personal collection even after I thinned out. Had a few Austrian police transitional helmets through the collection.

 

[Doug B]

Here are 3 other examples of the Austrian police with the flaming bomb removed. (I’ve no idea why the pics aren’t embedding in the post so you have to select them individually to see them).

 

[John Josef]

In your opinion do you think the SS police marking is genuine ?

Many thanks ,

Matt

Hi Matt,

My opinion is NO.