DAK Tropenhelm

**Tim OKeefe** · 03-14-2011, 04:23 AM

Hi Ricardo & Jerry

Any idea when and where this photo was taken ? Perhaps this is the 15th Pz Div DAK, with some Italian Allies ?
Taking another look at this pic (post #11). Besides the award winner (who may in fact have a felt helmet, (( the couple Guinness may have mislead me)) and his tunic looks to be new also, perhaps a returning replacement ? ) The soldat (second from left) behind the Italian Officer attaching the award to the solder appears to have a felt sun helmet ? Really like this photo, shows several Italian sun helmets as well as German. But the crew in the Pz III in the right foreground are wearing the (Dutch) South African version, notice the shallow rear brim. As we know the 15th Pz Div DAK were issued the Dutch helmets instead of German tropenhelms do to shortages and the rapid deployment for this Div in April/May '41. Also the capture of Tobruk in '42 supplied quite a few SA helmets to the DAK.

Still would hesitate to call the felt version DAK without actual provenance, same for the second pattern tunic. As the very large majority were not worn in Afrika, let alone the DAK. Though the cloth 1st pattern tropenhelm is the definative DAK headgear imo. The vast majority of tropical items are not DAK.

Outstanding example of the green tropenhelm Jerry.

Heia Safari !
Tim

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-14-2011 04:23 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**R.R** · 03-14-2011, 10:59 AM

Hi Tim,

Unfortunately I have no idea when and where picture was taken, I collect it from a webpage about DAK, but there was no informations about it.

Regards,

Ricardo

**Jerry B** · 03-21-2011, 10:08 AM

I had another look at this picture and highlighted what I think I can see, in regards to which types of Tropenhelms/Piths can be seen.

Jerry

**Jerry B** · 03-21-2011, 12:35 PM

I found this picture in George Forty's, 'The road to Alexandria', p.89. (The original is from the Rommel museum in Herrlingen)

It's the same award ceremony from a different angle, and it was Rommel being presented with the Italian Medal for Bravery, by General Garibaldi, on the 22nd of April, 1941.

Jerry

**stonemint** · 01-29-2015, 04:17 AM

The Tropenhelm that led off this thread was made by Johann Hückel und Söhne of Vienna.
These were shipped in cartons of 10 by size. Here is a pic of the label from one, along with a pic of the factory:

**Glenn66** · 01-29-2015, 08:06 AM

Back to the OP example, you have a nice example helmet there! I like that you've teamed it with an Afrika cuff band as well!

.

I have a very similar setup but added dust goggles for emphasis.

**Tim OKeefe** · 01-29-2015, 10:03 AM

Just to clarify, still have never seen any photos of the 2nd pattern pith in use in Afrika, only a couple discarded felt helmets in the piles of captured helmets & headgear at the surrender in mid May in Afrika. The 2nd pattern was not used by the DAK ever, mainly in Italy, France, the Balkans & Russia.

Also the Afrika ct never was seen or worn in Afrika either. it appeared in some LW units in the Sud Front in late May '43 after the surrender of all Axis troops in Afrika. It was only worn in Europe very occasionally. The Afrikakorps ct did see service in Afrika, though fewer than 1% of the DAK wore them....