M40 and a M42 relic

appie · 02-02-2009, 04:23 AM

Here's two lids I found in Holland. One is a very nice dubble decal M40 with a camo finish, the other is a M42 that I found with a bullethole in the back that killed the soldier. It belonged to a soldier of the 64th Inf Bat who was killed in oct 1944 in Holland. I found the soldier in 2004, and the human remains are reburried in IJsselstein.

**Australian Guy** · 02-02-2009, 06:17 AM

Fantastic finds, I would love to get my hands on the M42. W

Wonderful, any more photos?

Cheers,

Grant

**Dimas** · 02-02-2009, 06:50 AM

I like the camo one- very nice find!

**Paul D** · 02-02-2009, 06:12 PM

Nice find appie and good to be able to relate a helmet to a man !!

**NickD** · 02-02-2009, 08:01 PM

very nice finds wish i could find stuff like that & that you know some of the history on one of them cool.

**Sjakie** · 02-18-2009, 10:36 PM

Where about in Holland did you find that soldier? Really curious because there aren't that many soldier recovered in Holland anymore these days.

appie · 02-19-2009, 08:20 AM

I must say it is somewhat strange to hold it in your hands knowing what happend to the lad who wore it. The bullit entered in the back of the helmet, and as it has no exit hole and the lads skull was very damaged I believe the bullit exited his face. When I cleaned the hemets interieur there were still hairs in it, and the leather is stained.
Strangely he was found at the bottum of his foxhole, so probaly he simply tried to climb out and run when the Canadians advanged, and got shot in the back of the head.
The only items missing were his dogtag, boots and the bolt of his K98k.
The rest of his fieldgear I have in my collection.

**stuka f** · 02-19-2009, 08:25 AM

by appie

I must say it is somewhat strange to hold it in your hands knowing what happend to the lad who wore it. The bullit entered in the back of the helmet, and as it has no exit hole and the lads skull was very damaged I believe the bullit exited his face. When I cleaned the hemets interieur there were still hairs in it, and the leather is stained.
Strangely he was found at the bottum of his foxhole, so probaly he simply tried to climb out and run when the Canadians advanged, and got shot in the back of the head.
The only items missing were his dogtag, boots and the bolt of his K98k.
The rest of his fieldgear I have in my collection.

Sad story!
When emptying houses I came across several personal diarys/journals, they where not always bright as well.

appie · 02-19-2009, 08:41 AM

by Sjakie

Where about in Holland did you find that soldier? Really curious because there aren't that many soldier recovered in Holland anymore these days.

There are still many missed soldiers in Europe, also in Holland. I just read an article about some Germans that where dugg up near Arhnem last year.
This soldier was found near the Belgian border in Zeeland.
In the same area I found an other fieldgrave, but the farmer had ploughd over it for years, and the remains are now all over the field. I had his jawbone for a while with remarkable good teeth (in any case better than mine!), untill I handed it over.
And there is one German soldier from whitch I have the exact location in Belgian. This soldier rests in a back garden of a house; the owners were digging a hole for a waterpomp and came across the bones and fieldgear of this man. They took some pictures and simply clossed the hole and started to digg somewhere else. No the house is sold and I would like to digg this one up so that he can be indentified and be reburried with his comrades, but it is delicate to just simply tell the owners they have a corps burried in their backyard.

**stuka f** · 02-19-2009, 08:46 AM

by appie

There are still many missed soldiers in Europe, also in Holland. I just read an article about some Germans that where dugg up near Arhnem last year.
This soldier was found near the Belgian border in Zeeland.
In the same area I found an other fieldgrave, but the farmer had ploughd over it for years, and the remains are now all over the field. I had his jawbone for a while with remarkable good teeth (in any case better than mine!), untill I handed it over.
And there is one German soldier from whitch I have the exact location in Belgian. This soldier rests in a back garden of a house; the owners were digging a hole for a waterpomp and came across the bones and fieldgear of this man. They took some pictures and simply clossed the hole and started to digg somewhere else. No the house is sold and I would like to digg this one up so that he can be indentified and be reburried with his comrades, but it is delicate to just simply tell the owners they have a corps burried in their backyard.

Let me know when you are in the neighborhood, so we can meet!