M42 Vet Art Helmet

**relicz** · 12-22-2013, 05:09 AM

M42 Vet Art Helmet

Dated “1944” on front with multiple French cities and town painted around the shell, “Last stop Berlin” painted on the rear.

M42 ET64 Heer

Lot # 1528

B. & C. Litzmannstadt 1942 liner band

Nice Dome stamp

Decent chin strap

There is some waxy residue on the shell and skirt which is possibly wax or furniture polish of some sort or another.
I’ve taken some pictures in natural light to show helmet paint and some in reduced light to eliminate glare and show the artwork better.

This thread is at the request of Chris (criketts).

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 12-22-2013 05:09 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Australia** · 12-22-2013, 05:20 AM

Very nice looks fantastic! , would the writing decrease the value or increase it ?

**cricketchris1944** · 12-22-2013, 05:51 AM

I am not much for GI art but I really like this one.
I think the vet was in the 29th division due to the names on the helmet.
Send the helmet my way.
chris

**Danmark** · 12-22-2013, 06:24 AM

I think the artwork was done 'after the fact' but still in that year because not all the towns can be attributed to the one army group. For example, le mans was taken by the 79th & 90th, Chartres by the 5th & 7th and St Lo by the 4th.
Maybe some artistc GI made a business of doing these up for souvenirs at the time or even done for a newsreel team?
Not trying to detract from what is a neat helmet but not the one guy IMO.

Dan

**cricketchris1944** · 12-22-2013, 06:56 AM

Did some more research ,it does look like it was from a vet of the 29th division.
The 29th was in St lo, chartres and lemans.
Also all the other towns can be associated with the 29th in some way.
Would love to have a helmet like this. A vet history
chris

**Lidman** · 12-22-2013, 07:15 AM

Great example of a vet painted helmet John.
It would be great to know for sure if the artist had in fact, fought in all the places named on the helmet.
But who could say for sure one way or the other without speaking with the vet himself.
I would love to have one even close to this.

Brad.

**timothy** · 12-22-2013, 07:19 AM

Nice Gi art m-42 the 29th (Blue & Gray) div did pass through a lot of them towns painted on it but so did a lot of other units I recognize some of them dad even talked about for example Cherbourg and Loriant that was where the 94 was operating out of and Brittany before heading East. Caen was a big Brittish sector. Nice helmet timothy

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 12-22-2013, 08:15 AM

Hi John , vet art helmets are not really my thing but this one sure has a real attraction to it. Nice to see one that has some real age to it rather than the "painted last week" efforts most commonly seen! Leon.

**relicz** · 12-23-2013, 05:14 AM

Thanks for all the comments guys, very much appreciated.

My gut feeling (based on absolutely no facts whatsoever) is most authentic veteran art helmets were done well after hostilities ended and some may have even been commissioned by vets to have "artists" enhance their bring back items or available authentic period pieces. More of a keep sake, if you will.

There is anecdotal evidence of vet art helmets being hung in duty areas during the war, but it would take a period photo of a specific helmet to prove it existed at the time.