My MAX Show Purchases

[Peter_Suciu]

I had a very good MAX Show last week. I still think SOS is the better show, but I did very well selling at the MAX and I found three truly unique treasures. Nothing WWI but still very cool.

First up - this is a 1942-43 era Free French sun helmet. It is a British pressed felt Wolseley, which was introduced due to shortages of cork.

 

[Peter_Suciu]

Next up is an Italian Model 1928 sun helmet that was used by the Kriegsmarine. There is one just like it in Ken Niewiarowicz's book. He gave this one a thumbs up and said it looks correct.

These helmets have been discussed a bit, and my theory is that these may have been the first helmets used by the Kriegsmarine. This would have been BEFORE Germany began producing its own helmets. I think these would have been introduced once Italy entered the war in 1940. Germany would have had no idea France would have fallen in weeks and wouldn't have considered the war would expand quickly to the Mediterranean Sea.

 

[Peter_Suciu]

Finally, I've seen this helmet at MAX for a couple of years and the price was always a LOT more than I wanted to pay. This year was the year and I'm happy to have it. It is a post-WWII sun helmet and whoever painted it did a bang up job.

 

[stuka f]

Nice! =D>

 

[badener]

Bravo Peter =D>

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

Cool stuff Peter!

James

 

[RON]

Awesome finds Peter!
My M1928 Italian Sun Helmet has a Whermacht stamp inside.
I was told this was because the Axis troops fighting in Africa were placed under the command of Rommel.
Unless the helmet was intended for use by the Germans and converted back to Italian by some collector post-war. Who knows? The front (Italian) badge does glow under a UV light but there are no piercings on the sides...

 

[poniatowski]

Nice finds! Interesting painted helmet... reading the names of the posts, I've been to a few of those.

Ron

 

[Peter_Suciu]

Nice finds! Interesting painted helmet... reading the names of the posts, I've been to a few of those.

Ron

So was I Ron. I was born at Fort Jackson as my father was in the army at the time!

(I'm sure soon Fort Jackson will have to be renamed so as not to offend anyone as it is named for President Andrew Jackson)

 

[mauihiu]

What a coincidence, I was born at one of those posts also and have served in a couple of those units!