M42 Helmet - Polish Uprising???

[Danmark]

Things have been ( apart from David & Geoffs recent treats ) a bit quiet on the helmet front lately so when I saw this pop up online I thought " now that's interesting and worth discussing".....

So here for a reasonable $500 or so is what the seller thinks is a 1944 'Polish Uprising' repainted M42.

Lets bounce it around - at least he posted some decent close up photos for us......

Dan

[Danmark]

So it looks like it originally had the FULL red/white band around the whole helmet, then over-painted and the smaller flash put on ......why?
So not as much a target as the full band? ( this guy might think so .... )

[BlackCat1982]

Interesting. From the photos it appears that the helmet might have been painted several times, a white band around the helmet was one way of identifying the owner as a Polish freedom fighter, then this has been later painted over with a national flag. The base colour looks a different shade to the normal German grun. As a symbol of an heroic people's battle against a monstrous enemy I like it.

[Danmark]

Another liner / strap photo I missed.........

[real steel]

Not one for me. Original paint has been stripped down to bare metal...then I don't know what happened after.

[Danmark]

Not one for me. Original paint has been stripped down to bare metal...then I don't know what happened after.

Indeed David - for the collector of untouched original helmets, this is not one to be sought after. But it does have a story - but what story is the question.

Removal of the finish ( yes the rivets seem to be bared but to me not ALL the surfaces ) could well have been some crude attempt at preparing for the many layers then applied by brush - which are clearly not the work of a faker of recent times. All things have a tale to tell - and, while I am NOT laying down my hard earned for this particular slice of history, if it is indeed as Blackcat says, a symbol of a desperate resistance against the tyranny that was August to October of 1944 then it is unique in its own way.

Dan

[real steel]

Dan...these helmets, the paint was sprayed, then oven baked. If there was a layer of original feldgrau paint underneath the green brushed overpaint...it might stand a chance at being period. But looking at what seems to be...current rusting on a bare shell, to me, has to be post war for whatever reason. If was period done, they would have just painted by brush over the original factory paint & applied the band/decal over it. Any idea how difficult it is to remove factory paint from an M42 ? It is not easy. ...don't think someone would sand down the original paint, then apply this paint & decal pre 1945. Just my opinion

[Anderson]

The exterior paint is old, probably at least 30-40 years, if not older. But we can not be sure it looked that way, or had a stripe around it during the 1940's. It could have been repainted post war as a stage prop or museum exhibit. Some provenance is needed if it is to be seriously regarded as a war time resistance helmet. Interesting though.

[real steel]

Yes....it is interesting. But the proof is if this is wartime rust, It should be black by now....not red/orange as what is indicative of somewhat recently rust infestation this one displays

[Danmark]

Thanks David, Anderson & Blackcat,
Its always good to hear differing opinions on a subject - thanks for all your comments!
Cheers fellas,
Dan