Relic M40 from Ostend, Belgium

[The Farmer]

This is a relic M40 that i bought as second part of my €15 lot from a digger friend. This helmet was found in an Atlantikwall bunker near Ostend, Belgium in a known Kriegsmarine position.
This is where i got a bit annoyed at my friend. the helmet was heavily corroded due to the salty sea air, so my friend treated it royally with Hammerite (stonechip paint), inside and out. then he decided it was not worth a lot so he kept it and dinged it around a bit
Due to heavy pitting and the thick coat of hammerite inside no lot number, size or makers marks are distinguishable. Faint traces of the liner are visible.
My questions to you. Can the experts out here determine a maker solely by the shape of this lid? And secondly, should i strip the paint, leave this as is (a lost cause) or is this one worth a restoration for display and reenactment purposes? I am looking forward to your replies!



Kind Regards,
Maarten

[BlackCat1982]

Looks very corroded and I doubt you would find any stamp marks even if the paint was removed. A pity it was covered in hammerite. But if you know where and who found it then that makes it a bit more interesting I guess.

[The Farmer]

Yeah, the condition is bad, but at least i don't have to worry about it rusting any further lol. I am still in doubt about twhat to do with this one. At least i know the provenance ; place where it was fond, by who, etc, so that makes up for a lot. This should at one point in his life have been a Kriegsmarine lid, as it was found in a former Kriegsmarine coastal battery. So i still have a soft spot for this ugly duckling :-)

[Gunny Hartmann]

If you want to remove hammerite this is the only stuff that works!...https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hammerite-M.../dp/B008VE18HQ

[The Farmer]

Thanks a lot, the expertise on this forum never ceases to amaze me ;-) Hammerite is heavy duty stuff, that's why i was so upset with my friend. But i guess for 15€ for both lids i can't complain. And i like the provenance so i'll give it a home while i ponder on what to do with it.