M-35 Helmet of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Karl-Hermann Frank
Article about: Colleagues, In 2010 I had an interesting year, beginning early with the acquisition of this, as well as the acquisition of Knochlein's helmet later in the year (I will post that later). My g
M-35 Helmet of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Karl-Hermann Frank
Colleagues,
In 2010 I had an interesting year, beginning early with the acquisition of this, as well as the acquisition of Knochlein's helmet later in the year (I will post that later).
My good friend Bruce H of Grenadier Military Antiques, quite out of the blue, emailed me a couple of phone pictures of this helmet after having met the family at Antiques Roadshow (as I understood it at the time). Their grandfather, the vet who captured Frank, had kept this in a coat closet in a hat box pretty much since the war. When he passed away, they brought it to Bruce for authentication, etc. I was immediately able to verify the pictures and was offered a shot at the helmet, which I took. I was able to obtain the helmet, an affidavit from the family and some copies of pictures of the veteran, PFC Hall. I featured this helmet in my book "SS-Steel, Updated Edition" in 2010. Not long ago, another good friend of mine and longtime cloth collector told me he also had a picture of "my boy" (meaning PFC Hall), with Frank. That was a nice addition to this provenance, further pegging the GI himself photographically to Frank at the time of his capture. Evidently, to keep Frank from being torn limb from limb by the Czechs, the US Army flew him from Pilsen, his surrender location, to Prague, where he was processed and interrogated. Hall apparently accompanied him during this journey.
The pictures tell the story: the helmet was an ET64 standard 1938 production, which was later pained black and re-decaled for wear with the black uniform, then overpainted in a very nice sea-foam color with the decals masked around. It is carefully and professionally named to Frank by someone with calligraphic skill. The chinstrap is a typical Carl Tesch 1938 with the VA-SS 1938 marking. In one picture of Frank wearing a helmet, it is an ET, but it still bears the factory ET finish as far as I can tell from the picture. By his tabs and other uniform characteristics, I believe this is a circa 1941 photo. (I was told it may be during Heydrich's funeral, but that seems not to be the case, as Frank had a completely updated uniform set and wore a visor cap in pictures I have seen of the funeral time frame).
I hope you enjoy the pictures. (I believe Bruce had posted this helmet himself earlier on another forum, so some of you may have seen it already).
Re: M-35 Helmet of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Karl-Hermann Frank
What a gorgeous helmet Kelly. The Pocher looks very striking with the border covered by the paint, and the paint itself is a great unusual colour. Named to a high ranker with picture provenance, ex blackie, what more could you ask? Great stuff.
Re: M-35 Helmet of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Karl-Hermann Frank
Welcome to the forum Kelly.
A superb and unique piece of history with equally unique provenance. Thank you for posting and look forward to seeing more of your historical treasures.
Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....
Re: M-35 Helmet of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Karl-Hermann Frank
Now this is interesting, and very weird! Reason I say this, because I was just reading up last week on the execution of Karl Frank & SS-Oberst-Gruppenfuhrer Kurt Daluege. He was extradited back to Prague where thousands of spectators came to see the former “Protector of Bohemia and Moravia” executed in Prague’s Pankrac prison by the Austro-Hungarian “pole hanging” method. Thanks for sharing probably the most interesting helmet I have ever seen.
M-35 Helmet of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Karl-Hermann Frank
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by DougB
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