M42 LUFTWAFFE Single-Decal / White & Blue SNOW CAMO Helmet - Comments / Evaluation Appreciated

[zermatt]

I purchased this helmet at a Washington, DC estate sale last month. M42 with a single Luftwaffe decal, no liner.

Field applied snow camo consisting of whitewash, sky blue paint and sand.

Helmet looks to have been used as sort of a hastily-contrived, rudimentary paint bucket for field-applied camo during the war (remnant paint and sand pooled at interior crown; paint streams run upwards out of vent holes ---helmet shell looks to have been held upside down and used as a field paint can).

I have provided 9 detailed photos (some were taken with a flash; some were taken in natural light)

Any comments or evaluations would be appreciated.

[Tank Destroyer]

I love the m42's, I have never seen a helmet painted like this. I think the paint is post war and you may be correct about the helmet being used as a paint bucket. Marty

[KradSpam]

Not a camo IMO, especially since the same blue paint is inside the crown. I've never seen blue being used like this in a period camo and I'd struggle to believe it if I did. And if you notice, it was painted without a liner installed as seen around the holes on the outside. Just a post war abused helmet I would say.

[Glenn66]

I agree with the above, hope it was cheap.

[slados28]

Post-war abused sounds about right -- unfortunately not a period camo by the looks of it. Snow/white camos seem to be the most commonly found relic camo pattern out there though --- It's totally the other way around when it comes to non-relics...
I guess this comes down to the nature of the white paint/whitewash used, bright white not being practical in anything else than white snow/mid-winter etc. whereas spring/summer/fall patterns and colors were valid for a larger portion of the year and that possibly more sturdy paints were used when appplying the camo making it more laborous to remove for whatever reason. A theory..