Heer M35: and a soldier who followed orders

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-04-2009, 12:25 PM

Hi Guys, here is an M35 Stahlhelm from my collection. It belonged to a soldier named "Vogt" with the rank of Oberschutze. Despite his low rank, this soldier correctly followed orders and kept his steel helmet up to date with the regulations.

The helmet started life, like most M35's, as a double decal helmet painted apple green. It was then, circa 1940, overpainted in dark feldgrau paint, which covered the National colours decal. But the Heer decal would have been either left exposed or given a new decal on top of the new paint. By 1943 orders were given to now remove the Heer decal. Oberschutze Vogt followed this order and removed the decal by scrapping away the paint.

The helmet is well used and some of the National colours decal can now be seen due to wear and tear.

The liner band is the reinforced alluminium type. Maker is "ET" and the helmet shell size is a 64. Batch number is "4522".

This helmet was found in Holland some years ago now, but sadly I don't have any history to it.

Cheers, Ade.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-04-2009 12:25 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Squadra33** · 05-04-2009, 12:46 PM

pretty sweet piece..
do you happen to know were in holland it was found?

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-04-2009, 12:48 PM

Near Nijmegen is all I know.

Cheers, Ade.

**Alan M** · 05-04-2009, 12:51 PM

great colour tone Ade

al

**rottenfuhrer-nl** · 05-04-2009, 01:51 PM

the name even sounds dutch

**Davidh** · 05-04-2009, 02:12 PM

fantastic looking lid and its always nice to see an unmessed with lid

rgds Dave

**JPhilip** · 05-04-2009, 03:38 PM

Hello,
It is a beautiful helmet, full of history..thanks Ade to share it with us. Although i'm not specialized in helmets, i think there is a mistake done by collectors concerning the removal of the Hoheitsabzeichen in 1943. The official order says that no Heer decal will be factory applied on the helmet from August 1943, but it never says that all german soldiers had to remove the eagle from the helmet produced before....these removal are due to personal initiatives or orders given by the unit commander.
There is no regulation of such a kind in the german texts
Thanks