Militaria fair finds M1 helmet covers

[austromunga]

Hi all
bought these at a local militaria fair... I went looking for a Belgian "jigsaw" pattern cover and a U.S. woodland cover for my 1956 West German shell made by Quisk ..... still no luck with the Belgian cover !!! but in the end i managed to get two woodland...though one is a little different as it has an ink marking to both sides... and also it's green on the reverse is this unusual!!?? (see pics) ..one American WW II pacific camo mozzie net veil cover for my fixed bail front seam too!!... but for me my favourite has to be these nice original Austrian Army dot camo covers made from old discarded camo cloth .......the trader had a box full of 30 or so!!!.. "How much for your post war Austrian dot camo helmet nets mate"!!!!! "These are SS German ones.... oh you know what they are"!!!.... unfortunately I knew better!!...... so anyway I picked 4 of the most interesting ones!!! (and in the process done him a favour as I removed all the date evident pieces) ...one is made from a parka hood (still see the shaped stitching!!!) one has the sizing marks and HBA stamps (1970) from a cut up parka!! one is a nice named piece "Bulldog Morth'l" and the last is made from an old Austrian Zeltbhan and is reversible to sumpftarn pattern!! pics below and few pics of them on helmets just for shape...
your thoughts please??

regards
Paul

[Opex]

Hi ,Great finds my fellow collector I have one the Austrian Zeltbhan covers and is also reversible, very nice.

The WW2 USMC cover is very nice and highly collectable, and sell for roughly £25.

I think did did very well indeed, and they look great on display too

[austromunga]

Hi thanks
I only paid £8 for the USMC cover .. it does however have a light white paint stain down one side so I managed to get it knocked it down from a tenner!!!...but still nice I think..
I wonder ...do you have any idea about the ink decal on the 76' dated erdl reversible to green cover???

[Opex]

Hi thanks
I only paid £8 for the USMC cover .. it does however have a light white paint stain down one side so I managed to get it knocked it down from a tenner!!!...but still nice I think..
I wonder ...do you have any idea about the ink decal on the 76' dated erdl reversible to green cover???

Very good price for the USMC cover, regarding the Erdl I have no idea at all I am afraid, perhaps one of the US based collectors here might be able to recognise it,sorry

[cammobunker]

Hey guys-
NO clue about the ink stamping on the ERDL cover...not US Military though. Light green is normal for this cloth, and it's not intended to be reversible. It's just the back of the fabric. After the "Mitchell" pattern VN era covers, no US issue covers were reversible until the very latest USMC issue for the Lightweight Combat Helmet. (Which is why there are Woodland, Six Color Desert, Three Color Desert, Snow, Black, ACU, MARPAT Woodland and MARPAT Desert covers for the PASGT and MICH helmets. Eventually, someone caught on...)
Those Austrian Dot covers are really nice and none too easy to come by over here. I like the ex-parka hood, you need an Austrian helmet now!

[austromunga]

Ok I'll have to keep on searching for the origin of the ink stamp !!! But with the likleyhood of it not being a U.S. Mark ......at least it narrows it down to just the countrys that used this pattern cover.... Of which there are still many and varied!!! As for the Austrian helmet ....I'm fairly well catered for in that respect... As its my main collecting "Theme"... Current count stands at 7 stalhelm, with 2 spare liners and one current issue gallet composite helmet!!!

[austromunga]

Hi all
Think I now have an I.D. for the 76' dated ink stamped ERDL helmet cover....
as supplied by a member of the IACMC..flashesandovals thanks !!!
with the bottom half of the insignia being used, and the II denoting 2nd battalion...
its the 2D BN (ABN), 503RD INF...

[Opex]

Hi, I am glad you got some positive ID for the marking on the woodland cover,go Airbourne

[austromunga]

Hi all
just to show you a few more M1 helmet covers I picked up at this years War & Peace revival show..
two different types of Pacific theatre covers with mozzie nets one duck hunter camo the other plain od (not seen this type before)
another unissued "bee keeper" type (still smells strongly of insect repellent!!) unissued with label
one Korean war/early Vietnam "OD" unissued and unmarked
two "Mitchel" Vietnam era... seller had a mixed box full of Mitchel/ERDL type all at a fiver each!! I picked out a couple of the better ones!!
and lastly one ERDL with "Vietnam" airmobile cavalry graffiti !!
oh and some ods and ends ..one paratrooper liner chinstrap Vietnam era and a unissued headband...
a couple of pics of dressed helmets with the Vietnam covers!!!

[James C]

another fine haul mate and well displayed too with the period ciggy packs