M42 SD Heer with a little story....

**JPhilip** · 06-02-2017, 07:00 PM

Hello Gentlemen
This M42 SD from the Wehrmacht Heer is a ckl66 with serial number 2295. It is complete with its original liner and chinstrap. It was apparently taken from a dead german soldier during the liberation of the french town of Dijon. I'm still wondering if it was seized by a witness who saw a dead german soldier in the streets of the town or if it was taken by the partisan who killed the german soldier as the helmet bears writings engraved into the shell.
Sorry for my bad skills as a photographer, but the most interesting parts of this battered M42 are clear enough i guess. The small string attached to the chinstrap bale was there when i got the helmet so i left it untouched. The lining is not a red norvegian example, that's the result of a non informed helmet noob using oïl (me)...it was done a long time ago, at a time the internet was not even a project.

Writings are :

BOCHES (KRAUTS)
TUES PAR MA POMME (KILLED BY MYSELF) MA POMME means my apple but also myself in the slang of the 40s to 60s in Northern France
the word TUES (KILLED) with the letter S at the end means that there were more than one german soldier killed, as for the S at the end of BOCHES.
The first two letters of TUES, so T and U are under some rust and are not visible enough to appear on photos, in hands one can see them but they're very "faint"

and two small SS runes are engraved on the Heer decal, the guy slipped a bit for the second rune.
Thanks

PS : dont forget to click on the photos to have better detailed views

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 06-02-2017 07:00 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Cessna77** · 06-02-2017, 07:09 PM

really cool. wonder what the experts will have to say about it. love the way it looks as is though

**lebus12** · 06-02-2017, 07:14 PM

Ma pomme, like a song of Maurice Chevalier !

**Schwerpunkt** · 06-02-2017, 08:10 PM

Very cool , nice catch.

**MAP** · 06-03-2017, 05:56 AM

Great story on this solid helmet!

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 06-03-2017, 07:07 AM

Hi, cannot see any reason to doubt the inscription, has real age and patina to it. A very interesting helmet, well done on finding it and thanks for showing it. Leon.

**JPhilip** · 06-03-2017, 11:40 AM

Hello Gentlemen,
I managed to take new photos of two features that were unseen in my initial post...
Some writings on the lining, most probably the initials of the soldier who died while wearing this M42 and after mutiple tries, i finally got a good photo of the word TUES placed at the front of the helmet.

I have absolutly no doubt that everything is original here, this question never even reached my mind in fact....As you can see on the photos, only the left part of the helmet retains some of its Feldgrau factory paint, the rest of the shell was covered with rust when it was found by the person who sold it to me. The engraving BOCHES TUES PAR MA POMME have been unnoticed for years as most of it was covered with rust.
It's just a random M42 in battered condition but with some character. I like it.
My question, the one i will never get an answer about is : were those engravings made by a partisan who fought in the streets of Dijon and killed the german soldier who was wearing it or were they made by someone who simply picked up an abandonned helmet and engraved something to show off during liberation time ?
Thanks

and as usual click for better views