German M1916 helmet shell

**tampalam** · 08-23-2010, 09:59 PM

Terrific acquisition Harry! I would leave it as-is also. It will display quite nicely. Oradour, thank you for sharing the knowledge about the chinstraps being recycled from pickelhauben. Now I understand why I see so many sans chinstraps. I suppose this only applies to EM chinstraps? Otherwise, officers scaled chinstraps would look incongruous on an M16.

I like what the lady said about all WWI German helmets being black. I have run into many sellers like this one in my day. Stubbornly defending some strange idea about what is original and probably obtaining the "knowledge" from some old movie or the rumor mill.

George

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-23-2010 09:59 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**oradour** · 08-23-2010, 10:10 PM

by tampalam

I would I suppose this only applies to EM chinstraps? Otherwise, officers scaled chinstraps would look incongruous on an M16.

George, you are correct

Now theres something I have yet to see on fleabay, an Officers M16

...in time no doubt !
Prost! Steve.

**tampalam** · 08-23-2010, 10:18 PM

LOL Oradour! I would wager that some eBay scammer just read your post and has already miraculously "found" an ultra-rare officer's WWI Stahlhelm. Thank you for that mental picture and the laugh.

**oradour** · 08-23-2010, 10:29 PM

by tampalam

LOL Oradour! I would wager that some eBay scammer just read your post and has already miraculously "found" an ultra-rare officer's WWI Stahlhelm. Thank you for that mental picture and the laugh.

George, I have already got one

..........Not !

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 08-24-2010, 11:39 AM

I remember way back in the early 1960's when I purchased an M16 helmet from a dealer (Bernard Marsh) who had a shop in King Street in Manchester. I used to help him out most Saturday's to earn a bit of pocket-money and buy stuff off him. Anyway, I digress! The helmet had been painted all the way around with the most beautiful daisy-chain which was the right-way up when the helmet was upside-down. The liner came as seperate to the helmet. I have no Idea what happened to it, as when I joined the army, my mother disposed of my 'junk' while I was away.

**oradour** · 08-24-2010, 12:12 PM

[QUOTE=HARRY THE MOLE;181662]I remember way back in the early 1960's when I purchased an M16 helmet from a dealer (Bernard Marsh) who had a shop in King Street in Manchester.QUOTE]

Harry thats a name from the past ! I used to spend all my pocket money in his shop, down the stairs under a fancy barber shop in Bridge St, he sold me a right load of crap, (I was only 13yrs old at the time!) ive still got a West German peaked cap he sold me as a Nazi one for £7, a lot of money in 1970 ! I last saw the old bugger in Whalley Bridge in the 80's. My favourite shop at the time was the coin and medal shop in Fennel St, at least everything was genuine there (I think), Ive still got some of the medals I bought there as well, ten bob (50p) for an Imperial EK II !
Prost! Steve.

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 08-24-2010, 08:17 PM

Hi Steve,
Now you have me puzzled! It was about 1965 when I started helping him, and yes - the shop was indeed in a basement. But I remember it being in the lower end of King Street. I stopped helping him when I signed up (at the age of 17) in January 1969. I also used to visit the Army & Navy stores in Tib Street. They always seemed to have plenty of good wartime stuff for sale -as did the other shop on London Road. But it was the wooden shed at Shudehill market that used to facinate me. Very small, but packed with some unbelievable stuff at very affordable prices. Just down the hill towards the Cathedral was Stensby's (now at the top of the hill) and I used to spend ages in there drooling over the guns on display.

**oradour** · 08-24-2010, 10:23 PM

Harry..it was King St West, there used to be an Antique/secondhand stalls in the basement, it is now a Thai restaurant !, however by 1970 Bernard must of moved around the corner onto Bridge St where he shared floorspace with vintage clothing stalls (still in the basement), thats when I used to frequent his establishment...I was 14 at the time, I dont remember the wooden hut on Shudehill....but certainly Stensby's, how I used ogle the Kriegsmarine dagger !...im off to see an old collector buddy at the end of the week, i'll see what he can remember. The Army & Navy store in Tib St, AHH...now thats where during the late 70's I amassed a huge collection of U.S. WW2/Korean war items for next to nothing ! the good ole days !