A true treasure

[bowlin7178]

My wife just told me we have that function on our camera, i'll try it later.

[bowlin7178]

new pic

[SteveR]

Great find. I love anything connected to the 551st. I knew a man from that unit. He was a great fellow.
The black paint was obviously done by the vet. Who else would have known the locations he had been to. I have had similar helmets in the past that were vet acquired, similar to it. Black paint, locations in white with various designs. Not unusual. 30 years ago I didn't like them now I am sorry I traded them off.
SteveR

[381st digger]

in my opinion a truly holy grail of helmets, at least my best, just picked up today at a country estate sale, a sd m-35 kriegsmarine, personalized by a member of the "551st quartermasters unit" mapped out with all the places he was, from england,france,belgium,and germany, marked et60, lot#13201, note the bullet hole that passed all the way through, just shows you what can still be found out there, i waited all my life to find one like this, picked it up for a steal, $350, any info on the unit would be great.

Hi great find! Just wondering what he would have been doing in England?

[Schwerpunkt]

new pic

Thanks would love to see the entire helmet that sharp ;-)
From that picture I'd say it's a Heer decal though just mildly toned. Compare it to the dark golden tone of the decal I posted earlier.

[SteveR]

Hi great find! Just wondering what he would have been doing in England?

Chaseing good looking girls.
Probably wounded during the Battle of the buldge and shipped to England to recover. My friend Don Garrigus did the same thing.

[381st digger]

Chaseing good looking girls.

Ha, I dont blame him, He wasnt likely to find any in France.

[SteveR]

in my opinion a truly holy grail of helmets, at least my best, just picked up today at a country estate sale, a sd m-35 kriegsmarine, personalized by a member of the "551st quartermasters unit" mapped out with all the places he was, from england,france,belgium,and germany, marked et60, lot#13201, note the bullet hole that passed all the way through, just shows you what can still be found out there, i waited all my life to find one like this, picked it up for a steal, $350, any info on the unit would be great.

551st trained in Georgia, sent to Panama, went to Italy, Dropped in southern France. assigned to the 82nd used to strengthen the northern shoulder of the buldge, stopped the Germans cold but was shot all to hell. Most of the Battalion were wounded or killed. The bulk of the survivors were transfered to the 504th Bn.
Anything 551st related is highly collectable to US Airborne collectors. Their yellow felt on purple felt with a staple is THE HARDEST battalion oval to find.
SteveR

[crazy horse]

Hi great find! Just wondering what he would have been doing in England?

not only that but where is a country named Nancy.

[LondonJay]

not only that but where is a country named Nancy.

It's a place in France