This is a bit morbid!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steven M]

Don,i understand what you're saying. But it's the "nature of the beast" in our field of collecting. If you think,how many of the ground dug awards that appear in some folks collections (without their knowing). Were found on someones remains? Which were subsequently reburied? Or how many awards,pics or documents were removed from corpses as "souvenirs"? We will never know & probably best we don't. Stewy S

Hi, I agree with your thoughts on how souvenir pieces found their way back. If our items could talk, I am sure many of them would have very dark stories to tell. I would like to add that I would rather see most items we collect in the hands of private collectors rather than museums. I know a couple of former curators and the horror stories they told me about how the items were "cared" for were most incredible. A lot of times, many fantastic items are packed away out of site or sold to raise funds. When I mentioned this item being in responsible hands, I was referring to the private collector.

[Steve T]

I seriously doubt this is blood staining from the 39-45 war. Blood decays quite quickly in air and eventually turns black, NOT red. The red colour is only due to the oxygenated haemoglobin. Haemoglobin denatures quite quickly in air and certainly would remain red for no more than 3 or 4 MONTHS at the most, let alone years.

Whilst I appreciate that this is a relic, I am positive it has been doctored to make it more attractive to the buyer.

Steve T

[Stewy S]

Hi, I agree with your thoughts on how souvenir pieces found their way back. If our items could talk, I am sure many of them would have very dark stories to tell. I would like to add that I would rather see most items we collect in the hands of private collectors rather than museums. I know a couple of former curators and the horror stories they told me about how the items were "cared" for were most incredible. A lot of times, many fantastic items are packed away out of site or sold to raise funds. When I mentioned this item being in responsible hands, I was referring to the private collector.

No offence taken & i'm glad you can see the point i'm trying to raise. Some of my groupings were bought to save them from being split & dissrespecting an individual soldiers honour/memory any further. As long as i have them i know they'll stay in the same state as i received them. Stewy S

[appie]

I agree very much with Steve; blood stains turn blackish very fast, specialy on leather even after days. This can never be original era blood stains. Maybe they added some color on the liner to match the bullet holes, to add more "value".

[Dimas]

I have one german overcoat and it has a lot of blood stainings- they are near to the rust color, but for sure is not red

[Panzer 3]

Hi,
I think you guys are right in saying it is fake blood, it is more like beetroot juice. After all these years it would be a very dark or brownish colour, who ever done that does not respect the lose
on a battle field. Most bullet holed helmets you will find without the liner for obviouse reasons, I have ten bullet holed helmets in my collection, and was offered one to buy the other day with dried skin and hair still in it, but that is where i draw the line.
Here is my old blood stained flag for comparison.
Dave

[Sokol]

The square punch hole on the side is the classic way, through which the Bulgarian army "retires" its helmets! Scrapped from the army. The whole thing is very doubtful. Such repaints were not done during the WW2, but postwar.

[Panzer 3]

Hi sokol,
Please if you would or could enlighten me on the Exit hole,
how would they do that ?.
Dave.

[Sokol]

The Bulgarian helmets in my collection are picked by myself from military depots, scrap yards and etc. /yes I am Bulgarian/. Although not often, there are plenty of damaged helmets to be seen - with holes from shooting, traces from explosions or something heavy hitting the helmet. Have seen even a few flattened by tanks. Maybe I should have picked a few, but I did not. IMO none of these was a battle damage, but simply waste helmets, awaiting scrapping, that were used to show to the soldiers what happens to the helmet in battle, or just some armed moron had fun /and believe me there was no shortage of morons in the army on all levels!/. Rusty jerry cans and old helmets, these were the usual, favorite subjects for shooting.

And here is my double decal Luftwaffe M35, postwar repainted green and "battle damaged" by soldiers with pickaxes... It was a pile of scrapped Bulgarian helmets all damaged in the same way and I managed to dig this one German out of there /until a few years ago it was usual to find German helmets among the Bulgarian helmets in the army/.