Danish M48 M1 clone

[Opex]

Yes, that is correct. Now I remember

But I will look into the manufacturing process. It is an ongoing process, since I need to find the manufacturer first, and then their own archives with manufacturing data... I don't really expect the ordeal is possible. But I have to be certain it isn't before I call it a day.

But the Danish liners look as if they are manufactured from cloth, soaked in a "resin" and then pressed while heat is added. Just like the US liners. It is more a question of what the "resin" is made of.

Hi Buddy, any information would be greatly appreciated, and on the subject of the resin I am not sure but assume some type of Phenolic resin.

I found this information on wikipedia regarding this sympathetic material:

Phenol formaldehyde resins (PF) are synthetic polymers obtained by the reaction of phenol or substituted phenol with formaldehyde. Phenolic resins are mainly used in the production of circuit boards. They are better known however for the production of moulded products including pool balls, laboratory countertops, and as coatings and adhesives. In the form of Bakelite, they are the earliest commercial synthetic resin.

Good to talk about a shared interest as always, kind regards Gary

[Opex]

Hi All, whilst searching on ebay today I found a really nice Danish Police version of the M-48, the pictures from the seller show quite a lot of detail, and it appears to have a black coloured shell and black plastic liner with green webbing suspension, the liner has a gold shield on the front of the liner, the shell has a USCH marking just visible under the black paint I believe..well to cut a long story short I purchased it as I have never one like it before, I shall post up some pictures when it arrives..now I am just hoping it is Danish and not Norwegian, well time will tell

[Danger]

Wow great stuff guys.
I also had to do a lot of research when I got my M48.
I really was hoping it was a WW2 reissue shell, but I don't mind that it wasn't.
I wonder if the same is true for gas masks? I mean did we supply old WW2 surplus gas masks to the Danish?
I just got a ww2 gas mask recently and completely by chance it has CF on it.
It begs the question, how much "hand-me-down" kit did the Danish get?

[RVLucy]

---------------------
Generally about the M/46 helmet:

They were made in very limited numbers, no more than 30.000 were made from 1946-1951.
They were interestingly enough never officially adopted by the army, but only saw troop trials with different conscript units.
The M/46 helmets still in army stock in the early 1950s were then handed over to the navy as on-board helmets, and the remaining helmets were given to the CF that made the second version of the M/46, as shown in this thread by Greg.

Nowadays the M/46 helmets are quite rare, as many of the Navy lids were scrapped, and not sold. Most M/46 helmets found today are of the second type, used by the CF. I have yet to handle another first type helmet apart from my own.

To go back to the very useful discussion on the m/46, Denmark has been the source of quite a number of converted British Airborne helmets, which have had their harness replaced by a Mk.II chin-strap and a Mk.II top pad riveted inside the top of the skull. Here is my example, a converted HSATs Mk.I, which I got from a Copenhagen ebay vendor in 2000. There is another (fibre-rimmed) version on page 49 of Skötte's book. My first guess is they were converted to use as AFV helmets, but I don't believe the post-war Danish army had all that much armour. is it possible they were intended to be a sort of substitute m/46. Of interest is the leather chin-support on chin-strap, like on the m/37s issued to the Dansk Brigade raised in Sweden in 1944/45 (Skötte pp41 and 42).
Does anyone have more information on these helmets. I fear most of them probably get converted back to HSAT, but they still crop up now and hten, there was one on German ebay a couple of weeks ago.
Roger

[Greg Pickersgill]

Its good to see so many people interested in Danish helmets. I am always keen to see and absorb new information on them. Roger's referencing of the converted HSAT reminds me that someone else featured one of these quite recently - I can't find it at the moment but its worth searching for. Again I find myself wishing there was a system of folders country-by-country which would make riffling through all these variously titled threads a whole lot easier.

Anyway, I have no idea whether these converts were specifically for armoured troops or for motorised troops in general. And was it *only* ex-para helmets that were converted or were AT helmets also re-used? And why was it done anyway - I can't easily see the advantage the conversion brings.

[37Webbing]

Anyway, I have no idea whether these converts were specifically for armoured troops or for motorised troops in general. And was it *only* ex-para helmets that were converted or were AT helmets also re-used? And why was it done anyway - I can't easily see the advantage the conversion brings.

Neither can I... It is very strange one indeed. The Danish armour used mainly light armoured vehicles (Humber Scout
Car, Humber Mk. IV and from 1947 Staghound III was added) in the first decade or so. Before heavier tracked armour from the US and UK began to be supplied in sufficient numbers from 1952 and onwards. But I have never seen troops from the armoured regiments use anything but soft headgear (berets) in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Photos are from the 1940s and 1950s.:

[Opex]

Hi All, whilst searching on ebay today I found a really nice Danish Police version of the M-48, the pictures from the seller show quite a lot of detail, and it appears to have a black coloured shell and black plastic liner with green webbing suspension, the liner has a gold shield on the front of the liner, the shell has a USCH marking just visible under the black paint I believe..well to cut a long story short I purchased it as I have never one like it before, I shall post up some pictures when it arrives..now I am just hoping it is Danish and not Norwegian, well time will tell

Update:

This is the helmet in question,the shell is clearly made in Austria, and the liner has the air vent on the side very much like the Austrian models, so I assume the Danish government sourced these models from Austria.

I am surprised the chinstrap are of the Army type, and would have expected them to be blue coloured like the fabric liner chinstrap, and at the same time I am equally surprised the suspension is of the Army khaki type.

Other than the Danish Police crest on the front of the liner, there are no clues to its origins, in fact I would have identified it as a Norwegian M1 clone if it was not for the crest??

I would appreciate it if anyone can provide some information on these models, as I have been unable to find any reference pictures of these Helmets in use by the Danish Police

[austromunga]

Nice lid opex !!!! I purchased a similar one at a local militaria show a few months ago for my Austrian (origin) helmet collection!!!.... just haven't got round to posting it yet!!! it has also got the liner with the khaki WW II HBT type webbing suspension, and T1 type helmet chinstrap hardware,also it has a paper label with the name and title of the 0fficer it was issued to sellotaped to the top of the liner!!!!! unfortunately I cant place my hands on it to compare and contrast at this moment in time... (currently buried in the loft!!!) but I do however have the liner chin strap off of it to hand...... I took it off to clean off all the storage grot on the plastic chin cup (see photos) I guess this plastic part is missing from yours!!

[Opex]

Nice lid opex !!!! I purchased a similar one at a local militaria show a few months ago for my Austrian (origin) helmet collection!!!.... just haven't got round to posting it yet!!! it has also got the liner with the khaki WW II HBT type webbing suspension, and T1 type helmet chinstrap hardware,also it has a paper label with the name and title of the 0fficer it was issued to sellotaped to the top of the liner!!!!! unfortunately I cant place my hands on it to compare and contrast at this moment in time... (currently buried in the loft!!!) but I do however have the liner chin strap off of it to hand...... I took it off to clean off all the storage grot on the plastic chin cup (see photos) I guess this plastic part is missing from yours!!

Hiya Buddy, thanks for the compliments, and yes the seller's pictures featured this type of plastic chin-cup in the ad, but mine arrived minus the chin-cup, so yours must be the same as mine, I look forward to seeing the Austrian helmet when you get a chance to post it up.

And I relate to not being able find things in the loft, mine is an absolute chaotic mess at the moment

[James C]

i missed out on one of these myself for one reason or another and if i recall very economical on the wallet ,i too was going to comment on the chincup ,austro can i ask if its a flexible plastic or maybe rigid and prone to breakage ,the decal sure does look well and a shame its hidden away on the liner but i guess a great way of preservation ,thanks for showing james