M40 LMZ Dated 1948!

[Markratz1]

Bought another early post-war example on E-bay for $60.00 USD. LMZ 1948 dated, two war -time pads, one post. Been re-painted the way it looks. Narrow web chinstrap, darker green about 20 mm. Helmet has a small star stamped in the shell?? Is that for Tula arsenal?? I'm not going to buy a bunch of these but thought for the money can't hurt to have a couple of early M40 helmets. Still a good buy I believe and should not be ignored.

[Wesley's Dad]

Mark,

That pebbled pattern pad you call post war may not be. There are wartime pads in a similar material and Ssh-39 sweat bands as well. It is similar but not the same. I can't really explain, but cannot tell from your photos either.

As for the Zig-Zag patterned ones. We call them wartime because this material was certainly used widely for these pads as well as Ssh-39 sweat bands. However if we "take the blue pill" and see the world as it really is (film ref. The Matrix)... These pads could be postwar made as well, but there is absolutely no way to tell.

Can't tell = wartime... welcome to Soviet collecting

[Bernhard]

Michael ,

Glad you posted a reply to Mark´s post.
I was planning to do so for a couple of days now but did not find the time to take pics of my 1949 dated helmet.

Mine sports three different patterned pads , all in mint condition.
As you can see from my poor pics we can see the "pebbled" and
the "Zig-Zag" variant.
The third variant I did not see before I think.

Of special interrest is the unusual "green" chinstrap.

[Wesley's Dad]

Green chinstraps are not uncommon on postwar helmets. There was a time when I was working with OstFront Militaria that I had about 100 postwar Ssh-40 in my garage. I bet 25% had these dark green chinstraps.

As for your third pattern pad, is it a pattern of small groups of hash marks with the groups facing in opposed directions? That is a wartime pattern as well.

[Dom]

Green chinstraps are not uncommon on postwar helmets.

Yes, but in 20 mm
I think Bernhard speaks of that which are 16mm
like this helmet LMZ 1950

[Wesley's Dad]

My comment was irrespective of width. 15 or 20mm ? I think that might be a "vampire chase".

[Markratz1]

Took a close look at the pads in both my post war examples and both had three different pads in each helmet. I'm sure that leftover materials were used until exhausted. I'm sure Mike has seen numerous different materials used.

I have pulled U.S. M1 helmets from Statel Guard Facilities as recently as three years ago and found WW2 Shells with WW2 liners, chinstraps and suspension systems in like new condition. I have also separated from stocks, WW1 dated Blankets with 1917 contract tags and WW2 mess kits. I guess the point is, the Government are not collectors and really don't care. Once it's obsolete, it goes to storage, destroyed or surplused.

FIrst batch of three photos are from a 1948, the next three are from the 1950.