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SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
As per Paul and Chris' request I present for the forums review one of my double runic helmets, which are among the rarest of the SS genre of combat helmet. This one is an EF M42 lot number 1592 (the nine could be an aborted 6, the EF factory is known for poor stampings, in a very feint but large size 68. The liner is steel but cannot read the maker nor the year of production and as a rule I do not like to stress the liner band so it will have to remain a mystery. The chinstrap is unmarked but the buckle is painted a forest green, and there are matching forest green paint blobs here and there along the rim edge and a large run by the maker and size stamp.
You will notice the helmet is has a distinct white/grey look to areas of the paint, this is from a coat of whitewash that was removed. Traces still exist around the vent holes, by the split pin heads and in recessed areas of the paint.
The right side runic decal is the expected factory applied EF and the left side decal is the expected field applied CA Pocher used it seems exclusively on the left side of M40/42 double runics or overtop the police decal on reverse runic helmets. Otherwise CA Pochers are very rare to find on M40/42 helmets on right side appliqué.
Why you ask were double runic helmets worn? Conventional wisdom says it was for foreign speaking nationals fighting in the SS alongside German speaking counterparts and officers, to identify them as non German speaking. Plenty of photographic evidence exists of the foreign legions of the Waffen SS wearing double runic helmets. However photographic evidence also shows the LAH in at least one company wore the double runic helmet as well. So the specific reason and rationale may never be known and I do not believe the source documentation exists to clarify this.
In any case please enjoy this rare combat helmet of the Waffen SS.
Exterior 360 -
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02-19-2013 01:19 AM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Here is the interior, with its original liner, unmarked strap and green painted buckle. You will note in one pic of the rear liner band a small strand of netting, presumably this helmet also was netted at one time.
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Here is evidence of this being a former whitewash in greater detail. This I find is just an interesting helmet that if it could talk could probably sit by the fire and finish a bottle of nice 21 year old dark rum with you, recounting the horrors of war.
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Finally the pics everyone loves to see, the decals! Right side textbook EF showing its age, nice toning as these do when they were exposed to rough environment and the expected CA Pocher left side for the field application, in about 50% condition.
Both are watermarked to prevent forgery.
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
I hope you enjoyed this presentation as much as I did posting it!
Cheers
Doug
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Interesting.... very interesting!
We recently seen Terry's M35 Quist/Pocher combo helmet which I thought was a one of a kind and now this!
EF/Pocher combo is pretty neat and sooooo bad azzz! Congrads on such a fine example!
Doug, are u OK?? Wassup with the SS fever lately???? I see your on a mission! But i'm enjoying every moment of it!
Regards
Samir
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Very interesting helmet with a lot of history
regards,
Corey
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Terry got me motivated to get off my azzzz and start posting! actually its a long weekend here in my neck of the woods, wife and kids are gone for the day, and last night they were watching their cousins at some climbing event. I finished my work early and thus, have actually got some free time, set up a new photo booth, and have been learning how to use my DLSR camera on settings other than Auto LOL.
Wait till you see the next one I am posting Samir....
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Re: SS EF M42 Double Runic ex-winter whitewash
Doug, I almost forgot, didn't Germania have double runic helmets at one point?
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