Guard Helmet?

Wappen is Officers, rear visor is made of paper (actually I think the whole helmet is made of paper). Never seen a chin strap with slide loops before, but this is a private purchased piece. If a fake it has fooled me, It appears to be a war time made helmet for field service.
Would like to read what some of our more knowledgeable (and better eye sight) members have to say.
 
aicusv said:
Never seen a chin strap with slide loops before, but this is a private purchased piece.
Click to expand...

Aicusv,
Leather chinstraps with slide loops were commonly seen on Unteroffizier private purchase helmets.
 
Officer helmets had M91 lugs which were used for chinscales at the beginning of the war. I have never seen an officer helmet with a leather chin strap. Since this is a Guard officer/Fahnrich helmet I would imagine that chin scales would have been a "must". The liner looks puffy, like someone has put stuffing behind it.
From the photos it is difficult to tell if all of the parts are brass or grey metal.

John
 
Could be an officer's helmet with subdued fittings for field use, or a wartime officer's made with zinc fittings that the gilding has dissolved off of. Looks real enough to me, either way an intriguing helmet.

Steve
 
It sure looks intriguing to me... I saw a Baden helmet which had zinc fittings, and the gold was gone on it..
It looked genuine to me, and it was. But then again I must agree with John, never saw an officer one without the scales.

Greetings, Coert. :-k
 
garlanj said:
This is on ebay in the UK (I know, we have a VERY bad reputation) but I was wondering if it all stacks up? Officer fittings but EM wappen and chinstrap - Fahnrich?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
Click to expand...

You are correct: this helmet has mostly officer characteristics: spike, stars, Perlring, cockades, visor rim... but the eagle and chinstrap are not EM type, but typically for a Fahnrich/OYV/Unteroffizier. See the prominent, non-enamelled center and voided crown. Of course, such a helmet would have been also worn with chinscales.
An unusual combination; officer characteristics are usually fewer on these intermediate helmets. You will also notice that there is at least one double hole behind the plate; however the plate fits really well on the shell and does not look like a later addition...
Perhaps other members have other opinions...
 
I think it is a a OYV helmet, but was confused about all the officer things on it, usually you don't have perlring, stars, and voided crowns on OYV helmets. But the mix can be really confusing sometimes... But I am no expert on these. I saw the double hole also, but also see no reason why it should not be legit. The bavarian officer I saw, and will see again next sunday has exactly the same things, zinc with the gold gone, and a finish which is similar. But I am no expert. I do not think it is a fake however. :wink:
 
It's on your website Tony!
Here: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/feldgrau/helmets/fgh24.htm

That is the M91 lug that I was referring to, Model 1915. You state that a leather chinstrap was worn in the field. I merely said that I had never seen an officers helmet with a leather chin strap --- other than the one you have on your website. :)

John
 
Very interesting helmet....definitely war time production by a known maker which we have on our list. The spike should have the officer version of the M15 spike fitting due to those M91 posts but because it is a Garde helme, it does not.....it unscrews. All fittings could be zinc but impossible to tell due to the heavy oxidation. It could have a combination of brass and zinc parts. The visors are obviously cardboard but the shell could be vulcan fibre. We have discussed these OYV, private purchase "almost officer" helmets in the past. There does not seem to have been any written regulations defining the official characteristics of these helmets. At least in this case, it is legitimate and not yet another aged piece from India.
 
After some thought, I believe this helmet was made for an officer for for field use. Anyone who has been in the field for any length of time even in peacetime knows how beat up everything gets, weapons, gear, and uniforms. No need for enamel on the star or shiny chin scales, for something that is going to live outside. I think it’s a pretty cool helmet.

Steve
 
I contacted the seller and they think the fittings are brass as they can see gold colouring under the oxidation. Must admit from the pictures it looks more like zinc to me.
Nice to know it’s from Berlin not Bangalore for once though
 
ottodog8 said:
After some thought, I believe this helmet was made for an officer for for field use. Anyone who has been in the field for any length of time even in peacetime knows how beat up everything gets, weapons, gear, and uniforms. No need for enamel on the star or shiny chin scales, for something that is going to live outside. I think it’s a pretty cool helmet.

Steve
Click to expand...

Agree
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top