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Swamp found M42.

Article about: Hi guys. I have always liked a relic, something that has been there to the bitter end. I am fussy though and like my relics to be on the salty side, presentable and not a rusty blob of a thi

  1. #1
    mpw
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    Default Swamp found M42.

    Hi guys.
    I have always liked a relic, something that has been there to the bitter end. I am fussy though and like my relics to be on the salty side, presentable and not a rusty blob of a thing that no one is really sure what it was. There lays the problem. Most items have been in the ground 70 years plus and tin worm or chemical reaction have done their best to return the item back to it's original ore.
    I have been after a good relic helmet for some time and there have been plenty coming up on ebay etc. Unfortunately most resemble something you would strain your vegetables through and in danger of total collapse any time soon. So I got thinking, what element would be the most kind to a relic. Water, air or soil? Obviously air is no good. Soil depending on many conditions can preserve things reasonably well. Water though seems the most stable or predictable. Salt water would be a disaster for steel, river water slightly better but how about swamp water with very low oxygen and lots of silt?

    Enter the swamp found Luftwaffe M42............

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  3. #2
    mpw
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    This is what arrived from the swamps of Denmark.....

    Swamp found M42.

    Surprisingly the leather was still very soft and pliable.

    Swamp found M42.Swamp found M42.

    Thick layers of silt and sediment look to have covered the helmet very quickly after it's submersion.

    Swamp found M42.Swamp found M42.

  4. #3

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    Interesting! Do you know where in Sweden this was found?

  5. #4
    mpw
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    I was very tempted to leave the helmet just as shown here. Unfortunately not only did it look salty but smelled salty too. On top of that every time the helmet was moved large lumps of crusty sediment fell off which was not best pleasing Mrs mpw!

    Swamp found M42.

    So it seemed a shame to have something so well preserved and now let it fall to pieces on my shelf so a decision was made to very carefully clean it.

  6. #5
    mpw
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    Hi Wewelsburg.

    Sorry typo on my part. Lid was found in Denmark near Copenhagan some 28 km from Sweden.

    Cheers, Mark.

  7. #6

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    Okey, Yes I thought that this kind of helmet was an odd thing to find in Sweden. No worries, Denmark and Sweden are almost the same
    And it's København / Copenhagen

    To bad that you not can let the helmet be, but sometimes there are no other thing to do!

  8. #7
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    Most of the natural 'camo' came off very easily but about 20% around the rim was set like concrete and no amount of soaking would persuade it to move and much care was required not to damage the paint. The liner came out easily and interestingly both side split pins were missing their washers but not the rear. The galvanized outer band was in good condition about 90% complete but the thinner inner band had suffered and is about 70% complete though still retaining much of it's black paint and clear size 59 stamp.

    Swamp found M42.

  9. #8

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    Nice! We want pics of the complete helmet! Swamp finds can be amazing, i had some too.

  10. #9
    mpw
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    I would have rather left the lid in as found condition. Unfortunately once released from it's watery home the salts in the sediment and air would, indeed were, starting to cause some corrosion in the difficult to access steel parts. I guess in a climate controlled museum cabinet these problems could be addressed but in a collectors home not so. As collectors we never really own something just preserve it for future generations and study. Which I hope has been done here.
    Some before and after photos.

    Swamp found M42.Swamp found M42.

  11. #10
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    Swamp found M42.Swamp found M42.

    Shell size 66 liner 59.

    Swamp found M42.

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