Article about: Hi all, I've just got this Quist M40 in the mail today, paid 80€+shipping for it and as you can see it has been overpainted post war in an ugly neon-green and silver, even the leather is sil
Hi all,
I've just got this Quist M40 in the mail today, paid 80€+shipping for it and as you can see it has been overpainted post war in an ugly neon-green and silver, even the leather is silver, unfortunately. Overall, a pretty rusty but still original German M40 helmet
But the liner has a really nice name in it still "Kan. E. Grohs" Kan. is probably his rank, Kanonier, so he was probably part of an artillery/FlAK/PAK gun crew, and there are blood stains in the liner, I will post pictures pre- and post- restoration, I did have to take the liner out momentarily too, but no harm done! Initially my plan was to use a wire wheel to get the paint off, but luckily I decided to not do that and use thinners that would not attack the original paint, anyway here it is before I did anything to it:
Anyway, after a bit of scrubbing in the rear skirt another name appeared! also some remains of the original factory paint appeared, either LW gray or slate gray, I took the liner out momentarily, not just to clean the silver paint off but also because there was a spiders nest in there! Those filthy buggers... Unfortunately the liner pins were quite rusty and one of the prongs of one of them broke off, but the rest is still fine, liner is I think from 43 or 44 and made in Berlin Charlottenburg, of the top of my head I can't remember the name of the maker right now.. You will see the name, in a bit, haven't taken a photo as of right now of it...
I am currently researching the name of the soldier Kan. E. Grohs, I have so far found that there was a soldier names E. Grohs that went missing around Bönningstedt in Northern Germany in 1945
"GROHS E. 1945 Vermißt", would match with the blood stains in the liner...
Luis
I can by no means confirm it that this soldier that went missing and the name in this helmet match, but given he was also probably KIA, I'd say it is definitely possible.. also with the blood rot inside the liner.
Luis
Anyway, KIA or not, here is the finished result, a pretty pitted M40, still has some of the silver paint on it unfortunaltely, it is quite stubborn paint.
Also as you can see, there is the name Grohs in the rear skirt of the shell and I was able to still make out the letter Q and some bits of the lot number, something 0, I'd say its a mid-late war pig skin liner Q64 M40
Luis
Yes, I know another reply from me, but , if you have ANY info regarding the identification of this soldier, please let me know, I really want to find out more about this helmet, and if this really is the helmet of the soldier that went missing in Bönningstedt.
Luis
Semi-Relic M40 restoration
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