Swiss M48/62 Dispatch riders helmet

[austromunga]

Hi all
apologies for I have been offline for a while!!
suffering from this never-ending cold that everyone seems to have!!!
anyway to cheer myself up I thought I would try to catch up with posting some of my new years intake!!
for the Swiss helmet collection...

It's a M48/62 all Swiss made example copied from the WW II British design!! the Swiss bought British WW II stock first... and at the end of its use started making their own!!
This example looks unissued!! the plastic "ID" tag is un-written on!!!

The rear of the helmet is marked with a white stencilled "B" denoting Despatch rider type...
The outer finish is an attractive "brush flick" paint splatter finish (see pics)
The inner stainless liner mounting is very similar to the M71 type... The leather para type four point fixing chinstrap (made by P. Brunner Sattler Kirchendorf ) passes through the ear protector apron (often missing) which is fitted via press studs..(see pics)
the leather headband tongues are marked with different makers and dates Paul Rytz 1983 Erlenbach.. and E. Oenninger 1982 Bazenheid??.. so I guess this being one of the very last designs made... was a case for using up the last un-matching component parts??...

best of all....from the same seller (separately ...but at the same time!! ) I also bought this Experimental Swiss camo reversible helmet cover!!
This pattern was only made in zelt/poncho and tent pole bags as far as I know!!?? shame really because its such a cool pattern!! the cover itself is really well made!! ...it came without a draw chord (but the function had been built in) ..so I added one.... and it seems to fit the helmet pretty well!!!

comments please....

[danhashman]

That´s nice, i did not know about it´s existence... neither about that camo design. Do you have more info on that? I am much into swiss militaria and its nice for me to see completely new stuff !! Thanks for sharing, man..

[Gunny Hartmann]

.: World War Helmets - Casque Modèle 48/62 :.
Post 1971 with it being a green example, the letter B denotes the size!..

[austromunga]

Thanks for the superb link GH!!! It has been seriously updated since the last time I visited!!! The Swiss camo section is the place I first saw the unusual camo as used on the foliage bands and on the repair of one of the sumpftarn helmet covers!!!...but on closer inspection this pattern is different again from the cover I have!!!???? Hummmmm!!!??

[Greg Pickersgill]

Wow that's a fabulous example of a very interesting helmet. Not often you get one with all the stamps visible. By the way its more correctly an 'armoured - or mobile - troops' helmet rather than specifically a DR one, although obviously used by motorcyclists especially MPs. These have an absolutely fascinating history as I am sure you will be finding out from the WWH website. One of my favourite helmets - would get more of them but they usually sell for *slightly too much* because people convert them into British para helmets (completely idiotically, in my opinion!). Also large numbers were sold to combatants in the 1990s Balkan wars - especially the Croats. So not as common or easy to find as I would prefer.

[Composite]

S*d the helmet....that cover is totally amazing!!!

[austromunga]

Thanks so much for your info and interest!!
here are some pics of just the cover... it was sold as German WW II type cover... and has similarity's to TR Palmtarn!!... it has a lovely "old" smell about it tho...so not made in China...... like... yesterday!!! an older repro perhaps???

[cammobunker]

Hey, that's a nice catch on that helmet! As others have said, not so easy to find, and such great condition too! That cover though...I'm sorry to tell you it's a fake German "Waffen-SS Paratrooper" helmet cover made from some really bad repro fabric. I believe the date on that would be late 70's-early 80's. I remember seeing smocks and helmet covers and just about everything else that could be made in camo coming in this (really, really bad) fabric back then. It's sort of a cross between oak leaf and palm camo without being either. Throw it on evilbay as a repro Waffen-SS paratrooper helmet cover (something that never existed in any Waffen-SS camo, BTW) and enjoy your legitimate, and very nice, Swiss helmet naked...er, the helmet, not you.

[Composite]

well..if that's what it is...or supposed to be...... it IS bad...and there was me hoping it was something experimental......

Thank you Mr Bunker. Oh, and Mr Munga, I'll be keeping the two grand I had lined up for a swoop..... ;-)

[James C]

Sorry to hear your under the weather Paul but still thanks for finding the time to post up this superb Swiss example and it will fit well in your collection ,i love the exterior paint finish ,can i ask if it has seen any usage at all as it looks absolutely mint condition Very good of cammobunker to give his appraisal on the cover and the reasons to doubt It's authenticity .I see similarities to the Romanian m90 leaf pattern especially on the autumn side of the cover and also after looking up Swiss camopedia see a similar experimental pattern mentioned