M17 Chicken wire Helmet

**qotd** · 07-28-2010, 08:06 AM

G'day All,

First time here, picked this up for a coupla hundred dollars today. Looks like a M17 with chicken wire, stamped ET64 on the rim and E265 inside the helmet dome. I bought it because I dont have an M17 or a chicken wire type in my collection. It has good patina, is named and seems to have traces of cam paint. Does anyone have any thoughts on this at all. I reckon it looks you beaut and if it's not fair dinkum, it still looks good!! Sorry its a little blury

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 07-28-2010 08:06 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**qotd** · 07-28-2010, 09:14 AM

Here's two more pics.....

**qotd** · 07-28-2010, 09:20 AM

Number 2

**oradour** · 07-28-2010, 02:01 PM

qotd, nice M17 stahlhelm with its original metal liner band and one of three leather pads still attached, never seen a period (WW1) M16/17 OR 18 with chicken wire on before, I thought it was a WW2 thing.....no doubt someone will prove me wrong!....the marking ''ET64'' is for the maker ''Eisenhuettenwerke Thale A.G., Thale /Harz'' they made helmets between sizes 60-68. The other marking ''E 265''on the inside of crown/top is a lot/heat batch number, which identifies the rolling mill that produced the steel, unfortunatly I do not know which mill the letter ''E'' denotes (I have enlarged your photo of the interior and I can see that is a letter ''E'' ). I have noticed ET marked helmets usually have steel that was milled by ''Stahlwerk Röchling in Volkingen'' whose numbers start with an ''R'' mark. This is a nice helmet, that was got at a good price.

**qotd** · 07-28-2010, 11:04 PM

Thanks for your educated opinion,you really know your helmets!!
I really had to have this helmet as it is WW1, with the original liner but with WW2 chicken wire, I have been told it could have been reissued for a coastal defence unit, but I have never seen such a helmet before. I also have a untouched SD LW M40, restored Heer M42 and a gladiator Luftshcutz so it fits in wit my nice little eclectic collection. Again it is unusual and should provide for some livley debate.

**qotd** · 07-28-2010, 11:07 PM

Believe it or not this was an impulse "buy it now" on Ebay!!!!

**Paul D** · 07-29-2010, 10:55 AM

Nice original helmet but the chicken wire is a recent addition !!

**qotd** · 07-29-2010, 11:00 AM

It could well be, but there are definite wear marks where net meets helmet and where this is no wire you can see where the wire that was there has rubbed and I can make out patterns, and in one spot on the metal liner band it is rusted to it . I value your opinion, and it could well have been put there in the last decade or so. I bought this helmet with my eyes wide open and just liked the look of it!

**oradour** · 07-29-2010, 11:08 AM

Gents...I must confess that if that was my helmet (and I would be happy to have it in my collection) that wire would be in the bin !

**qotd** · 07-29-2010, 11:26 AM

Fair enuf, I can see your point on that.

I am just wondering why you would take it off? It is unlikely that it is original to the helmet, but couldn't it also be likely that it is? I dont think we will know for sure either way, but each helmet was owned by an individual and maybe the paricular owner did cam his helmet in this way, stranger things have happened. I beleive that each individual helmet has a story, and no matter where or when the wire was added, it is part of this helmets history. I would never sell it on as "Fair dinkum original" or misrepresent it in any way to anyone, Id let it speak for itself, and it will sit proudly in my small collection right or wrong. I was in the Army for a long time and I know that regs are not always followed to the letter, and I have even had people tell me that Aussie soldiers "never would" wear a piece of kit in Iraq because it was unofficial, when I wore it myself!!

Besides....after all is said and done, I kinda like it! LOL it has character!