And there you have it AP. Sage advice from one of (or "the") foremost expert there is! And a good man at that!
Doug - You always make me laugh! Drinking a glass of Sailor Jerrys at this moment!
M
And there you have it AP. Sage advice from one of (or "the") foremost expert there is! And a good man at that!
Doug - You always make me laugh! Drinking a glass of Sailor Jerrys at this moment!
M
"Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated
My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them
"Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)
Doug I appreciate the information and the funny suggestions! Its hard to believe that 75 years has passed since the end of WW2. My grandfather was a radio operator with the ninth field artillery brigade and he too was part of the mad dash across the Rhine. I do have his helmet from service time (Wish he would have brought home some jerry ones too!) I plan on taking a picture of it and my new M40 together on the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day. The history to me is amazing, and I can only imagine who picked this M40 up and where. Maybe it came home with a G.I. in his duffel bag? Or maybe it was sent home to his father....or brother. Its always fun to let your imagination fill in the blanks, and that's what keeps me inspired.
If only you could know how useful this forum is to guys like me. Cant thank you all enough for the time you put in to help collectors!
With best,
Aaron
Lid, Do you have any idea on what year this helmet might have been manufactured? I enjoyed looking at your helmet, so nice of you to bring back the original skin of the helmet.
The change from SE (Sachsische Emailler) code to the hkp code occurred late in the production of M40 helmets. Also, according to Ken N's book, lot numbers in the 12k range are at the highest end of production of the hkp M40 (although, another data base at GHW does record LW hkp lot numbers in the 20K and 30K range)
So in a nutshell your lid was made at the end of the M40 production range for SE/hkp lids. Not sure exactly when this took place (others may) but I would assume sometime in 1942 as the order to switch to the M42 design was issued in the summer of 1942.
You might want to check the outside of the liner band near the chinstrap lug. It will show the maker and date of manufacture of the liner band. This is not an exact science as the liner band was not made by the helmet manufacture but it will at least tell you (unless it is a replacement) how early it was made. But be careful. Do not attempt to bend the liner band especially if it is tight to the shell. You may kink it or worse break it.
Finally, if the helmet bug has bitten you and you want to buy more. I highly recommend you buying a good reference book. Ken Niewiarowicz "Germany's Combat Helmets 1933-1945: A Modern Study" is my favorite. It's not cheap at $75.00 but is worth every penny (plus it is a great read). You can get it at his website (autographed) or via R. James Bender Publishing.
Regards,
Michael
"Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated
My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them
"Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)
Hi guys,
First I think it is a pretty nice helmet, and for sure a good starter :-) Same condition as my first M42 !
And about wife ; I tend to use a combination of E and F ;-) Tried C, no sucess :-/. Mostly F, sometimes E , works well, exept for the amount of Valium I need to steady my nerves ;-D
MFG and good luck, you will need it !
Marc
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