Strange (Bundeswehr?) helmet

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I have recently had this helmet sent to me by a friend who knows I collect military junk. Before any of you 'experts' pick up on it, yes, the shell has been repainted on the outside by me (today) with as close a match as I could find to the inside colour. Before doing this there was evidence of different colours being used on the outside only.

The shell is made from glass reinforced resin, and to the inner crown there are several raised 'platforms' with a steel bolt set in the centre. The outer of the shell has a rough texture formed by the glass impregnated resin, the inside of the shell is perfectly smooth. The liner is of the post war Bundeswehr type which is held in place by a nut screwed down to the centre bolt. A rubber pad is also fixed to the crown of the liner.

The chinstraps are of the pattern used on the wartime paratrooper's helmet. The popper-stud is marked... PRYM 4 ORIGINAL. The chinstrap assembly is held in place by four steel bolts of the wartime para type. The depth of the helmet is shallower than wartime helmets, and what there is of a 'skirt' around the bottom edge is far more angled than on wartime helmets.

The shape of the helmet is at best described as being 'similar' to the wartime helmet. Is this possibly some kind of post-war training helmet used by the Bundeswehr or something else? The manufacture of the helmet is first-class, but if it is supposed to be a repro para helmet it's nowhere near accurate... Opinions please!

Harry.

[ian]

hi Harry, i wonder could it be an early lid used by the budesgrenshuts GSG9,it certanly looks like it ? just a thought ,cheers ian

[jock auld]

Harry,

I had a German pal who was a Bundy para and he said they used similar helmets as yours and repainted WW2 helmets as well.

I also believe I have read somewhere that these are GSG9, a Special Police Unit that undertakes the stuff the SAS do?

Regards

Jock

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Harry,

I had a German pal who was a Bundy para and he said they used similar helmets as yours and repainted WW2 helmets as well.

I also believe I have read somewhere that these are GSG9, a Special Police Unit that undertakes the stuff the SAS do?

Regards

Jock

Hi Jock,
Thanks for the info. But I thought the GSG9 helmets were made of steel? I assumed because this is only glassfibre it was some kind of training helmet.

Harry.

[jock auld]

Hi Jock,
Thanks for the info. But I thought the GSG9 helmets were made of steel? I assumed because this is only glassfibre it was some kind of training helmet.

Harry.

Harry,

No idea, I haven't seen him for a while, now I have an excuse to visit. I will try to get North at the week end and see what he says, you will probably have an answer by then though?

The liner is like the BGS one from the steel lid as Ian suggests?

Jock

[gaz232sqn]

Hiya Mate.

Certainly looks like a GSG9 helmet,but like you said,they were I believe made of metal.

Now this is the bit ,where I sound like a complete "expert",on the subject.

The Grenzschutzgruppe 9 , a specialist / counter terrorist unit,were formed,in 1972,and came under the Police Federal border patrol.

But the above statement does'nt really help with the ID of this lid, therefore my guess would be a GSG9 ,training or Parade type lid.
I know the germans used a M1 style liner as a parade helmet

I like this one though,especially, as so far it's proving to be a bit of a mystery.........that's got to be good

All the best mate.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Hi Gaz,
It really is an odd one this helmet, but I do quite like it! The actual shell is fairly thick and I would guess extremely strong. I am sure that someone, somewhere, will know exactly what it is. I am told that the GSG9 helmets were so similar to the wartime ones - inside and out - that they were used extensively by re-enactors. I did once see a repro german para helmet made out of glassfibre, but it was unbelievably crude! I think that the german fire brigade used to have a similar chinstrap arrangement to this on their helmets, but I doubt very much if firemen would wearglassfibre helmets.

regards,
Harry.

[theduke635]

it looks just like the i had for reenacting about 10 years ago it was made for a movie ..mine was made just like yours too

[HARRY THE MOLE]

it looks just like the i had for reenacting about 10 years ago it was made for a movie ..mine was made just like yours too

Ah well, maybe I should put it in a 'War Movies Forum' then. Perhaps it's seen plenty of action on the screen.

[gaz232sqn]

Hi Gaz,
It really is an odd one this helmet, but I do quite like it! The actual shell is fairly thick and I would guess extremely strong. I am sure that someone, somewhere, will know exactly what it is. I am told that the GSG9 helmets were so similar to the wartime ones - inside and out - that they were used extensively by re-enactors. I did once see a repro german para helmet made out of glassfibre, but it was unbelievably crude! I think that the german fire brigade used to have a similar chinstrap arrangement to this on their helmets, but I doubt very much if firemen would wearglassfibre helmets.

regards,
Harry.

Hi Mate.

I agree this one is an oddity,I think on a forum like this,this is a good thing,get's the old brain cells in action , by trying to work out where,and what era it's from.

Thanks for sharing this one...maybe it is a reinactors lid...maybe not ....watch this space eh!!

Keep them coming mate,I enjoy the different opinions and theories!

I must get hold,of real mystery object like this one, just to see what interesting theories,the other members come up with

All the best.