Help with this Swedish helmet??

[serialins0mniac]

I got this helmet at a yard sale. I am wondering what year it is from, possibly WW2 era? I see it is Swedish by the decals. It looks like an M37 but it only has the two bolts (don't know what they are called) viewable on the outside of the helmet, one on each side holding the leather chin straps on. The M37s I have seen online look like they have many more bolts on the outside of the helmet. Are there different versions of the M37? I don't know much other then what I read so any information would be a big help. Any value to this helmet?
Nicole

[Adrian Stevenson]

Not WW2. Have a look here:

Complementaria casco sueco mº 37

Cheers, Ade.

[meyle77]

Post war reissue mostlikely civil defence.
I am looking for one as well.

[KradSpam]

liner looks 1960/70's era IMO from materials used.

[serialins0mniac]

I see, do the decals make no difference? Also the leather chinstrap looks older then the liner. It has cork between the steel helmet and the chinstrap ring. Any ideas?

[Greg Pickersgill]

There's something funny about this. It certainly is a version of the M37, the M37/62 with the German Schuberth liner, also seen on some post WW2 versions of the M35 family helmets. The liner is top-fixed, with a mounting on the inside of the shell, which is why you're not seeing any liner rivets. The straps are a bit peculiar; I have not seen any Swedish helmet with those cork spacers and wonder why they are there. Also, all the later versions of the M37 (ie those with anything other than leather three-pad liners) have cloth chinstraps of one form or another, and I wonder why this one has the old leather fittings. As regards the decals, I know they were introduced in 1941 and not abandoned until...I dunno, sometimes in the late 1960s I think. So OK for this model. (It would seem massively unlikely for an old shell to be fitted with the then-new liner and not have the chinstraps upgraded as well.) (EDIT... could be quite wrong on this chinstrap assertion; all the photos I have of the /62 show fabric chinstraps, but I have found one on the Pottia site which has leather - see pottakokoelma - so maybe some do some don't. Hmmm.)

I do have an interest in Swedish helmets but this one is so odd I think we need a better man than I. I'll see what I can find.

[serialins0mniac]

Attachment 383604Attachment 383605Attachment 383606Attachment 383607Attachment 383608

I thought these extra pictures might help showing the cork and leather chinstrap. I appriciate your help very much.
Nicole

[37Webbing]

I know it is some time ago this thread was made, but I think it deserves an answer non the less.

The M/37 helmet familiy is one of the longest serving helmets in any Scandinavian country. The Danish M23 and the Norwegian M31 did not serve nearly as long as the M37 helmet, that were finally re-drawn from service in the 1990s, but continued for some years in the Estonian army. The ties between Estonia - Finland - Sweden have always been strong.

The M/37 helmet is manufactured in four different sizes: 66, 69, 72 and 75.
The liner come in three sizes, Mod. 1, Mod. 2 and Mod.3
The decal is in Swedish called: Nationalitetsbeteckning m/42 för hjälm (Decal m/42 for helmet)

In the 1960s, the Swedish army underwent some major changes with the equipment. Much of the old leather equipment was changed for LBE's in cotton and later cordura, and the uniforms became were "NATO" like.

The helmets however remained unchanged, because of the major stockpiles left from WWII.
If it has been used by the army, the army acceptance stamp (the three crowns) will be somewhere inside the shell. Must likely at the size stamp.
If it was used by the civil defence, the acceptance stamp will look like this:


Now to answer you question.
The two main version of the M/37, is the plain old pre-WWII M/37 helmet. Plenty of rivets to keep the liner in place, and all "leather, linen and horsehair" liner.
The second type, is found in two variants. One with nylon-webbing-plastic liner with leather chinstrap from 1962-64 and from 1965-1990s (aka M/37-65) it has the all plastic liner with cotton straps, decals etc..

I have seen numerous designations for the helmets, and I have complete given up hope ever getting it right.