Curious about helmet

**BOB COLEMAN** · 05-21-2011, 01:37 PM

I am sure the painting is post war. Even a kid would realize that the big white eagle on the front would make a perfect target.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-21-2011 01:37 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Panzer 3** · 05-21-2011, 02:34 PM

Hi,
nice helmet and good for a bring back, but i think it could have been done in the sixties when all the dum heads painted them for biker helmets, but either way it is ruined.
dave.

**DougB** · 05-21-2011, 05:16 PM

by qotd

I could imagine someone in a last ditch effort, defending the reich, sitting in a shell hole, painting hurriedly patriotic symbols on his helmet, sterling his nerve and convincing himself of his beliefs doing this

by Good Pwny

Exactly. Could have been some HJ youngster, thrown into battle in the final days. Those mofos were fanatical. I'm 95% positive that this was picked up in Germany. There is a good chance that a teen, or old man wore this in defense of a lost cause. .

Gentlemen that is the atypical Hollywood stereotype. My best friends father was a 15 year old pressed into military duty in the dying days of the Reich. I have had many conversations with him, I can assure you they were not fanatics nor were their grandparents. His first combat he fled after shitting himself. The only fanatics were those that knew once the war was over they would be on the business end of a firing squad. The Germans fighting the Soviets, were putting up a stubborn defence so as to allow their people to escape west because they knew what was in store for them once the Russians captured their towns, rape for the women and a bullet for the men.

The fanatics were few and far between.

**Isle of Wighter** · 05-22-2011, 01:39 PM

by DougB

Gentlemen that is the atypical Hollywood stereotype. My best friends father was a 15 year old pressed into military duty in the dying days of the Reich. I have had many conversations with him, I can assure you they were not fanatics nor were their grandparents. His first combat he fled after shitting himself. The only fanatics were those that knew once the war was over they would be on the business end of a firing squad. The Germans fighting the Soviets, were putting up a stubborn defence so as to allow their people to escape west because they knew what was in store for them once the Russians captured their towns, rape for the women and a bullet for the men.

The fanatics were few and far between.

You are dead right there Doug. A read of any unbiased book on the last days of the Reich will tell the same story, Anthony Beevors 'Berlin' is a good one. I wish people would do more research into what was really happening during WW2, there seem to be a lot of Gung-Ho mistaken idea's about The Wehrmacht as a whole. Do your research friends. Get to know the bigger picture.

**davejb** · 05-22-2011, 02:15 PM

I quite agree with Doug and Jim, not all german soldiers were hard and fast nazis, this term is all too often used to describe the general run of the mill soldier, when in fact it is far from the truth, it somewhat irks me when someone posts " Nazi Helmet or uniform" it lends itself to all kinds of interpretation and more often wrong that all germans were heartless and ruthless killers, I related a story about a friends father who was a commando who got seperated from his unit and walked around a barn straight into a squad of waffen SS having a rest, he was disarmed, made to sit down and was tied up, loosely i might add, blindfolded and wondering whats going to happen next, the officer in charge spoke to him in english , telling him he would not be shot or harmed , which he didnt believe, but after a while he could not hear any noises so he managed to free himself, he was completely alone and was left a canteen of water and a packet of cigarettes, his wallet was also left on the ground intact but his rifle was gone. This story was related to me by the man himself and although he was to carry on throughout the war fighting and killing the enemy, he was always grateful to that SS officer and his men and it did change his views about the Germans and he came to realise that not all were outright nazis, even the SS had some that observed the rules of war

**Pablo** · 05-22-2011, 05:49 PM

by davejb

I quite agree with Doug and Jim, not all german soldiers were hard and fast nazis, this term is all too often used to describe the general run of the mill soldier, when in fact it is far from the truth, it somewhat irks me when someone posts " Nazi Helmet or uniform" it lends itself to all kinds of interpretation and more often wrong that all germans were heartless and ruthless killers, I related a story about a friends father who was a commando who got seperated from his unit and walked around a barn straight into a squad of waffen SS having a rest, he was disarmed, made to sit down and was tied up, loosely i might add, blindfolded and wondering whats going to happen next, the officer in charge spoke to him in english , telling him he would not be shot or harmed , which he didnt believe, but after a while he could not hear any noises so he managed to free himself, he was completely alone and was left a canteen of water and a packet of cigarettes, his wallet was also left on the ground intact but his rifle was gone. This story was related to me by the man himself and although he was to carry on throughout the war fighting and killing the enemy, he was always grateful to that SS officer and his men and it did change his views about the Germans and he came to realise that not all were outright nazis, even the SS had some that observed the rules of war

Very interesting story. I'm sure there many more, but we don't hear about them. My Opa (Luftwaffe ground crew) visited us when I lived in Alabama and he was interviewed by our small town newpaper. One of the questions asked was whether he was a Nazi. I don't know what his response was, but I heard he was highly upset. He was highly encouraged to serve his country (not many other choices) and did not want to be associated with the Nazi party. The one war story I know was that he was somewhere between the Russians and Americans and definitely did not want to be a Russian prisoner. I heard he traveled in haste to the American side and bribed them to be their prisoner with cartons of cigarettes he found in a blownup kiosk. Anyway he was treated well and worked for the Americans afterwards.

**Wagriff** · 05-22-2011, 07:49 PM

Oddly enough,Both sides are correct here. It is,indeed,unfair and for the most part totally untrue that the average German-whether he was a soldier in the Wehrmacht,or of the Home Defense crews was a "fanatic". You would,of course,run across the "I've lost everything-my family,my home,etc" types who had a grudge to settle and just wanted to do Something to "make the enemy pay for what they've done",but most were just as as scared of being killed or captured as the next man. On the other side of the coin,there were,Absolutely,fanatics around Too. These "fight to the last ditch and the last round" types were usually hardcore SS or brainwashed Hitler Youth looking to go down doing their duty and defending the Fatherland. These were the teenage boys firing old Mausers at Soviet T-34s in the streets of Berlin. These were the lone SS men who's units were destroyed and wanted only to die fighting the enemy before they themselves were killed. But your run of the mill Army soldiers? Your old men in the Volksturm forces? Of course not. People are people wherever you go. Every side has hardliners and every side has regular guys as well. It really isn't fair to judge people on a whole by what is usually a minority,but,unfortunately,that is usually just what Does end up being done regardless...it's the Fanatics and hardliners who make the most noise and the biggest waves and end up being remembered. Not the GI Joes in the mud doing their duty and hoping not to die-the ones who just want to get back Home someday. William

**Good Pwny** · 05-23-2011, 07:21 AM

Ummmm, I NEVER stated that all German soldiers were fanatics! I said that many of the Hitler Youth were fanatical. That is true. They were young, impressionable minds, that were fighting for their country. History can back that up. I have seen many interviews with former youth that have stated such. They were indoctrinated to be so. I just wanted to know opinions on this lid, and a possible value. This thread was not intended to start a debate. Call the Whambulance if you're too sensitive.

**Wagriff** · 05-23-2011, 09:00 AM

My comment was directed at the on-going debate,Not your original post. No need to get insulting.....Relax. William

**DougB** · 05-23-2011, 03:02 PM

by Good Pwny

Ummmm, I NEVER stated that all German soldiers were fanatics! I said that many of the Hitler Youth were fanatical. That is true. They were young, impressionable minds, that were fighting for their country. History can back that up. I have seen many interviews with former youth that have stated such. They were indoctrinated to be so. I just wanted to know opinions on this lid, and a possible value. This thread was not intended to start a debate. Call the Whambulance if you're too sensitive.

With all due respect you are the one drawing the inference that the helmet was painted by fanatical youth or soldiers, several of us simply disagree or is that not allowed? OK then back to the helmet. Postwar kid art is my opinion, value would be about $200-300. I do not believe that even the most fanatical of Hitler Youth, which were few and far between, would paint himself a large "shoot me here" target on the front of his helmet with several sloppily applied swastika's on the sides. Seen hundreds of "GI art" and kid painted helmets and this one fits that mold to a tee. Have yet to see a single Fanatic painted helmet however.