I like it, not textbook by any means but it looks honest enough. You may have stumbled upon a unicorn my friend. Looking forward to seeing Doug B's opinion.
I like it, not textbook by any means but it looks honest enough. You may have stumbled upon a unicorn my friend. Looking forward to seeing Doug B's opinion.
Interesting - and I believe real - SS DD helmet. I agree with those who say it probably had the Pocher SS decal added wartime, it all looks very believable.
I do think the liner is a replacement however. The 2-44 on the back is indeed the date of manufacture and also it is apparently a size 56 leather that would fit a 64 shell, not a 66 shell like this one. Can you see a date on the liner band itself? Can you provide shots of the rivet bends on the inside, which might be a clue as to when the liner was replaced........wartime or post-war?
Nice helmet regardless.
Cheers,
Terry
Terry, thanks for chiming in. Yes, I noticed that as well, but haven't got the chance to weigh in on that.
Doug (DerKerl), would u be kind enought to post pics of the pins? Thanks in advance
Interesting, Terry, I noticed the 56 stamp, but I overlooked the 2-44 pics, just shows I was too concentrated on the decals. Great observations! =)
Looks like a field applied Pocher party shield and runic decal. Lot may be twinned to a factory Q SS, it rings a bell but I am many thousands of Kms from my home where my database resides. Not as sexy as a factory Q DD SS M40 but a wartime DD M40 SS rarity nonetheless, my compliments.
Doug, interesting you say that about the party shield, I honestly thought it was a 'Q' type. So, if the party shield is a Pocher, then the helmet came from the factory as a SD SS, and then having both, runic and party decal applied later on in the field? I'm a getting this right?
Yes, as many Q double decal SS have field applied Pocher party decals. This appears it was a Q SD M40 with Pocher decals applied overtop the Q and a party decal applied as well. 90% + I've recorded of the Q M40 were SD. 10% double decal. about 60-70% of the double decal were Pocher party decals. The Q M40 is the most common of all SS helmets I have recorded to date.
The Q party decal is more a blood red to the Pocher orange red and the Q circle is dead center vs the offset right Pocher circle. Differences in hakenkreuz alignment as well.
Yep I agree with the other gentlemen , good Pocher over a Q runic decal. Liner to be further investigated.
Other near lotnrs in my list are registered SD SS.
Interesting thoughts Terry , that would explain the incorrect service rank written inside the liner. That said , above the 2-44 it appears to mark the liner as a 57 , while it is a 56 marked liner on the outside? A bit strange on a few levels this liner , but the band appears a good fit from the little "tasters" we can see. I wonder if the band is original to the helmet and a replacement leather has been sewn in. Leon.
How could we find out? Is there an expected marking on band? Thanks guys for all your interest and input. You never know what a vet might do. Nothing else in the bunch was obviously dinked with other than possibly the SA dagger. Is there anything else you guys need to see. I just love to advance the knowledge of the hobby. Doug
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