M35 SS Relic

**MoparJW** · 04-28-2012, 03:22 PM

My latest acquisition, an SS helmet from "The Battle of Groningen"

This helmet was brought to the surface recently while dredging the canals in the city of Groningen (the Netherlands).

M35 Q64 Lotnumber 3??5

All opinions welcome!

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 04-28-2012 03:22 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Sir Payne** · 04-28-2012, 09:16 PM

Hey welcome to the forum, that is a nice helmet you have there. It is amazing how helmets can be so well preserved after all these years under water. How did you get a hold of it if it was recovered in the canals?

Corey

**MoparJW** · 04-28-2012, 10:13 PM

Thanks! Yes I was amazed of this myself, it is probably because we have clay soil over here.
The helmet probably sank into the clay on the bottom of the canal, clay doesn't contain oxygen, I guess thats why it's relatively well preserved.

I bought it from a truck driver, he had to drive the debris and contaminated soil from the canals to containers, when he emptied his truck he noticed this helmet along with a rifle in the mud.
who knows what else was in there...

**Sir Payne** · 04-28-2012, 10:29 PM

That is awesome, I would love to go searching in there. I don't know if you have checked out this thread yet, https://www.warrelics.eu/military_fo...-gas-masks-44/ , but this guy found all these camo helmets buried in an old well. They are extremely well preserved and rare helmets. They were covered in mud and water, safe from the oxygen for almost a century.

**VolksJager** · 04-29-2012, 01:50 AM

I like it as well, was a good catch (I know bad fishing pun

) least there s no denying what it is. What happened to the rifle?

Jason

**WillH** · 04-29-2012, 01:54 AM

I am intrigued by the story. Thank you for sharing. I used to be a land surveyor and remember surveying a clay bottom lake in Green Cove Springs Florida. That stuff is no joke if there would not have been someone there working with me I would have died. I got stuck in some of they clay right on the edge of the bank before I knew it I was to my waste. My friend ran over and pulled me out. I was wearing Chippewa snake boots that almost came up to my knees, they were quite difficult to get on and off. I never saw those boots again. Talk about a flashback. Sorry to blab guys.

Regards,
Will

**MoparJW** · 04-29-2012, 12:44 PM

@cgp1066 That WW1 dump pit is truly amazing, some helmets look like they've been dumped there just yesterday.. wow

@Volksjager I didn't think I'd ever own a real SS helmet since there are so many fakes, and prices of the real ones are steep... yes this one is rough, but its from my area which makes it very valuable to me personally.
The wearer of this helmet has once fought (and perhaps even died) in the streets that I now walk through every day.

The rifle was a Dutch ''Hembrug'', these were also used by the occupiers.
I think he still got it.

@WillH Glad you made it out mate!

I'm convinced that there is a lot more to be found in the ground here, there has been some heavy fighting in parts of the city, but unfortunatly this is an urban area, so you cant just go digging anywhere...

2 years ago there was work being done in one of the city parks, some guy was walking his dog there and he found a helmet and bones lying there in plain sight, it made the local news paper.
A picture can be seen here: Dagblad van het Noorden - Wandelaar vindt Duitse helm en botten in Stadspark Groningen

Looks like another SS helmet, in good condition by the looks of it

**MoparJW** · 05-01-2012, 07:01 PM

by cgp1066

That is awesome, I would love to go searching in there. I don't know if you have checked out this thread yet, https://www.warrelics.eu/military_fo...-gas-masks-44/ , but this guy found all these camo helmets buried in an old well. They are extremely well preserved and rare helmets. They were covered in mud and water, safe from the oxygen for almost a century.

That's an amazing disovery

, some of those helmets seem to be MINT.. after 100 years... wow

2 Years ago work was being done in one of the city parks, a guy was walking his dog when he noticed a helmet lying there in plain sight in the mud, along with some bones.
It made the local newspaper, a pic can be seen here: Dagblad van het Noorden - Wandelaar vindt Duitse helm en botten in Stadspark Groningen Looks like an SS helmet to me... what a lucky bastard

Sadly this is an urban area, so you cant just go digging anywhere, but I'm convinced that theres a lot more to be found...

**MoparJW** · 05-01-2012, 07:07 PM

by VolksJager

I like it as well, was a good catch (I know bad fishing pun

) least there s no denying what it is. What happened to the rifle?

Jason

Yes, although in rough shape, I also think it was a good catch, I didnt expect to own an SS helmet with prices being so high and all the fakes on the market.
And the wearer of this helmet once fought (and possibly died) in the streets which I walk through every day...

The rifle was a Dutch ''Hembrug", these were also used by the occupiers.
I believe he still has it.

**MoparJW** · 05-01-2012, 07:10 PM

by WillH

I am intrigued by the story. Thank you for sharing. I used to be a land surveyor and remember surveying a clay bottom lake in Green Cove Springs Florida. That stuff is no joke if there would not have been someone there working with me I would have died. I got stuck in some of they clay right on the edge of the bank before I knew it I was to my waste. My friend ran over and pulled me out. I was wearing Chippewa snake boots that almost came up to my knees, they were quite difficult to get on and off. I never saw those boots again. Talk about a flashback. Sorry to blab guys.

Regards,
Will

Glad you made it out mate!