M42 Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet - ckl 62 - Lot # 2725

**helmet2id** · 03-22-2015, 03:52 PM

This was a woodwork find/vet acquired piece I picked up in the mid '90's. I was in a gun shop in New England, and I asked the proprietor if he had any helmets. This old guy standing at the counter overheard me and said he brought one back from Europe. I asked him if it was for sale and he just said "May be." He wouldn't give me ANY information about himself, not even a first name or a phone number, nor where/when he liberated the helmet, but agreed to meet me in the parking lot of the gun shop in a week to show it to me. I didn't think he would show, but I was there at the agreed upon time. To my pleasant surprise he showed up right on time and I have had the helmet ever since. The whole transaction took about 2 minutes. He never got out of his pickup, he didn't even turn off the engine. He just drove up, rolled down the window, showed the helmet to me, asked me if I wanted it, gave me a price, counted the cash - twice - handed the helmet to me, and drove off. The helmet, a single decal Luft, is complete with liner and 1943 dated chinstrap. The helmet is interesting to me because of the liner - the laminated leather piece is too big, but was force fitted on to the zinc liner band. In my opinion it was most certainly was War time installed. I don't know whether it was a Monday morning factory installation, or a field refit, but the liner has been like this forever. One of the split pins is sans washer, but there is no evidence of rebending of the legs of any of the rivets, and since it was vet acquired, I am sure that the liner has been in the piece since 1945. I wish the vet would have been more communicative, but he was a crusty old New Englander, and I clearly would have pissed him off if I pressed him for any information. I was lucky just to have been able to buy it. Anyway, here it is - hope you like it. Jim G.