Ssh 40 M

[James C]

LMZ 1948 dated shell the 4 point chinstrap can be moved to two spare bails inside the liner mounts if required for adjustment ,Also the front inner brim has had the star stamp struck three times

[Greg Pickersgill]

Two points about this interesting helmet;
is the chinstrap identical to that used on the DDR M56,
and is it a copy of the DDR version or is the DDR a copy of the Russian?

[James C]

Thanks for your interest Greg ,well those are really good questions of which i for one are really not sure ,I would say the leather straps do seem slightly wider /perhaps even thicker too than my early DDR M56 ,I'm presuming as its LMZ maker it could well be a used war time shell but that in itself throws up a few questions on when this Modernised or is it modified ? 4 point configuration chinstrap was fitted ,Web searches throw up a designation for Motorised Infantry but then i read otherwise ,"Help " also is it true there is an Ssch 60 with a similar 4 point chinstrap

[Greg Pickersgill]

Well, what seems to have happened is that the Soviet military wasn't happy with the stability of the standard ssh40 and tried this new chinstrap arrangement to fix it. That didn't seem to work out any better as it made the helmet sit back on the head, probably uncomfortably and inconveniently. There do seem to have been a lot of them issued, probably all or most to 'Motorised' formations (but that's unclear) but nowhere near the numbers of the standard ssh40 still in use at the time, which is shy the 'M' is relatively uncommon. I have no idea how many were re-works or how many came out of the factory with the 4-point strap installed.

I only have two M-models to work by, but it is my impression that the straps are coarser and wider than those on the DDR M56 (certainly the later production M56). But that could be wrong, too small a sample to draw conclusions.

More interesting perhaps is the fact that one of mine seems to have been quite crudely modified from a standard shell and the other is distinctly more 'factory finish', so to speak. I really don't know enough about these (and Clawson's book isn't especially helpful, really) and I'd like someone with proper knowledge to come in and educate us all. Maybe this should be on the Russian section?!?!?!

[James C]

Thanks Greg for passing on your knowledge on these ,I do notice in referance pictures the helmets seem to sit further back on the head almost giving the wearer an informal appearance ,the straps dare i say it seem of a better quality /workmanship perhaps due to the thicker materials used allthough most of the DDR militaria had a cheap and cheerfull look to it sorry you lost me on your last comment ?

[Greg Pickersgill]

Well yeah, the bit about the apparently improvised as opposed to 'factory-made' strap fixings only really makes sense if I supply photos, which I can't at the moment. Mind you I'm working from memory a bit so when I actually get those two helmets out I might find less difference than I think I recall. False memory syndrome, it gets everywhere. (And of course we are *in* the Russian section....I wasn't paying attention!)

[James C]

Greg i would be really keen to view your examples so please post up when you can please

[James C]

Took a few better daylight pics showing the differance between the NVA m56 4 point and Ssh40m I would say having more in common with the latter modernised liner version, also a small soviet helmet evolution display i also notice the shell has a very low batch number than my other two LMZ 48's at 1-431

[Greg Pickersgill]

James, here ar detail pics of my two ssh40 M. As you can see the actual fittings are the same but different. The little metal tags which hold the four-point straps to the liner bars are the same objects, but on one example (the first two pictures) they seem crudely jammed in as if onto a liner bar that was only partially loosened to accept them, and on the other (the third) neatly fitted as if done from the start in a factory. I have no real explanation for this barring a unreferenceable memory of many of the M models being retrofits of wartime production shells. If anyone has better information - and many must - I would very much like to know about it.

[James C]

Nice examples Greg and thanks for showing ,I notice your pair are devoid of the extra two bales which seem redundant on mine .I can certainly see how this would affect the wearers appearance and give it that riding back off the top of the head look ,can i ask what the white writing denotes on the darker green example and what are the dates ink stamps on this pair that is if there legible which i doubt on the black liner example ,Slightly off topic do you know if the Ssh60's have a similar maker /date stamp ,my example had an overpaint so i have nothing to go on
Thanks James