Auction items .. Good, Bad or Indifferent ?

[IvanPutski]

The eagle on the helmet in question is not a standard pattern eagle, although it shares some characteristics with the most commonly-seen stencil pattern. (While the example in question looks stenciled, in fact to me it appears to be hand-painted). Stenciled eagles of the most common pattern and its variants are most often seen in yellow gas-detecting paint, often in non-gas-detecting paint, and occasionally in white. Here is another example of a stenciled helmet eagle in white paint. (I have other examples in my photo archives but as I am not sure of the originality of those pieces, I will not include them here). Like the white eagle on the helmet in question, the example pictured here is also a slight variant from the standard pattern stenciled eagle.

I should also point out that white standard stencil pattern eagles can be found on certain types of early WWII Polish exile helmets, such as the French tanker helmets worn by Polish forces while training in the UK.

[MichalMag]

Band collars - what do you think?
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace
I can't comment on the metal badges but the cloth looks bad to me. Why would you stitch a collar on a khaki backing that will then go onto a khaki jacket?

Hello! Metal badge and cloth looks very bad to me. 100% sure not genuine

Best Regards

[jamest8]

Para Collars
* WW2 Polish PARACHUTS COLLAR BADGES - set of 2 - Genuine !!! | eBay

Gentlemen
I don't like these collars - what do you think?

The do have the blades which I believe is correct but the detail on the men seems poor. No boots visible and I think the shroud beading isn't crisp enough. Am I correct?

Also this seller does seem to sell some good stuff but mixed in is some horrible stuff.

Many thanks for your help and opinions

James

[ze-pole]

Hello,
I can't give an opinion, I don't know enough the polish paratroopers.

From the same seller :
*WW2 Original POLISH HELMET - 1st Armoured Division!- Eagle - Beautiful! | eBay

Best regards.
ZP

[jamest8]

From the same seller :
*WW2 Original POLISH HELMET - 1st Armoured Division!- Eagle - Beautiful! | eBay

Best regards.
ZP

I saw that too. The liner looks very strange to me. I'm not a helmet guy but I'm sure that this type of liner wasn't used on combat helmets. IMO
James

[Gary J]

It's a dispatch rider liner ..

Gary J.

[IvanPutski]

Yes Gary is correct; that is a motorcycle dispatch rider helmet. The stenciled "40" would indicate that the helmet is from Polish Armoured Division HQ -- and the type of eagle points to Polish I Corps and thus the Polish 1st Armoured Division.

I offer another example of a similar helmet for your review. This one has a smaller "40" on a black field, on the left side of the helmet. The eagle, however, is more in the nature of a Polish II Corps eagle than a I Corps eagle, this one being painted in white and not stenciled. This example also offers another interesting feature: the white eagle is painted on a black oval (to me it seems to echo the cloth beret insignia of the Polish Armoured troops). I would note that the "40" was the designation of Division HQ vehicles for BOTH the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the Polish 2nd Armoured Division. So what he have here may be a representative type from each of the Polish Armoured Division HQ units.

(Also I should point out that the MDR helmet type offered better crash protection than the standard Armoured Troops helmet and so I would ask if any of the forum members are aware of their use by tank crews in addition to motorcycle troops, for whom the MDR helmet type was originally designed).

I would also comment on the coincidence that II Corps Military Police MDR helmets also have eagles on a colored field (in those cases, red shields). I think this is coincidence only, but nonetheless interesting. Have any forum members seen any other examples of eagles on colored backgrounds?

[Gary J]

As a brief follow up to Ivan's post, "40" in a black square looks to be a British standard in Divisional serial/identification colouring for "HQ" ..
.. Thus it follows that the Poles were conforming to British idents .. which makes fieldcraft sense ..

Gary J.

[jamest8]

Wow guys that is really interesting - so do we think the dispatch rider's helmet offered for sale is a good one then? Eagle OK?

- - Updated - -

Para Collars
* WW2 Polish PARACHUTS COLLAR BADGES - set of 2 - Genuine !!! | eBay

Gentlemen
I don't like these collars - what do you think?

The do have the blades which I believe is correct but the detail on the men seems poor. No boots visible and I think the shroud beading isn't crisp enough. Am I correct?

Also this seller does seem to sell some good stuff but mixed in is some horrible stuff.

Many thanks for your help and opinions

James

Any thoughts on the parra collars from the same seller?

Many thanks

James

[Gary J]

Would really need to see the collars in the flesh to make a clear judgement .. as it is not too clear if the photo's have been "photo shopped" (Note the grey on front and rear ).

Gary J.