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Italian Relics

Article about: Here are a couple of relic steel helmets, which I believe to be Italian, that I picked up for my son over the last couple of years. The helmet to the left I believe is an Italian Elmetto M15

  1. #1

    Default Italian Relics

    Here are a couple of relic steel helmets, which I believe to be Italian, that I picked up for my son over the last couple of years.

    The helmet to the left I believe is an Italian Elmetto M15/16. It’s pretty rough but I don’t recall paying much for it ($20-30 on Ebay maybe), and seemed a little out of the ordinary, at least at the time. You can see someone’s handy work where they drilled holes and riveted a liner in it. Looks to have been done, quite some time ago and the replacement liner is long since gone, but the rivets still remain.

    The helmet to the right I believe is an Italian M33. It too is in pretty rough shape but again, I picked it up for $20 at a local militaria show. Looks to be original color, from what paint remains, and the liner looks to be original although very fragile. I could not find any markings in the back of the helmet, as I believer there should be, so I’m not 100% sure it’s Italian. Any comments? Also, you can see that someone quite poorly welded a little tab in the front of the helmet, I am assuming to hold some type of emblem. Not original I know but does anyone know if this was a common field type modification or maybe just more of someone’s garage handy work?

    Hope you enjoy the photos of these relics and any feedback one what these two helmets might actually be (if I have it wrong) would be greatly appreciated.










































    Russ & Son

  2. #2

    Default Re: Italian Relics

    - Italian M16 helmet that has been reissued by Spain with a replacement liner. Many of these examples were used during the civil war.
    - Same deal with your Italian M33, with Spanish emblem attachment on the front and a brown paint over the factory applied grigioverde. It is likely that the M33 helmets with emblem attachment have been modified after the civil war for parades.

    Nice helmets for good prices!

  3. #3

    Default Re: Italian Relics

    MDM,

    Thanks so much for the clarification on the origins of these two helmets. I did a little digging and, as you indicated, these do appear to be Spanish variations of the two Italian helmets. I assumed that the brown on the M33 was just petina where the original gray/blue paint had chipped away, but upon closer inspection (prompted by your post) it does appear to be brown paint over the original gray/blue.

    One question regarding the M15 liner replacement - Are you saying that the drilled holes and rivits are a product of the Spanish variation refitted liner and not some civilians handywork?

    Thanks again for the input.

    Russ

  4. #4

    Default Re: Italian Relics

    Italian RelicsItalian RelicsItalian RelicsItalian Relics

    I have this M26 shell that had a riveted leather liner at one time, this was probably used during the Spanish Civil War

    it would have had a leather liner like the Spanish Modelo M26
    Attached Images Attached Images Italian Relics 

  5. #5

    Default Re: Italian Relics

    Thanks BG, this is more good news. Starting to look like the drilled up and rivited lid is a product of battlefield necessity and not some kid using his fathers drill to install his GI Joe plastic toy liner in the helmet...... Thanks

  6. #6

    Default Re: Italian Relics

    Here a similar example M.16 with liner:
    Warhelmets -helmets

  7. #7

    Default Re: Italian Relics

    Again, thanks for the info everyone...learn something knew here every day. You guys will make a helmet collector out of me yet!

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