WWII SPANISH M42 used in The Rat Patrol TV show with German decals

[battle gear]

I noticed in the old 1960's tv show The RAT PATROL in episode 18 they show a guy wearing a Spanish M42 helmet painted desert tan with German insignia added, you can see the front has the metal tab for Spanish insignia, and in another scene when he removes his helmet you can see the leather three pad liner used in the old M42 Spanish helmets.

the show was also filmed in Spain

[emileverbunt]

Hi Battle gear,

This is a German M35 helmet reissued by the spanish. rivet placement and rim are a give away.

Still the metal loop has been placed by the Spanish.

Ratty decal though!

Cheers,
Emile

[helmet2id]

Actually, it looks like one of the M35's sold to Franco by the "Gerries" or "Krauts" (pejoratives often used by the stars of the show, not my terms!), not a Modello Z M42 style Spanish manufactured helmet. It is definitely Spanish as it has the bracket for the Spanish eagle device, but it only has 3 liner rivets and the M35 type inserted air vent bushings. I don't collect or know much about Spanish helmets, but I think the German manufactured Spanish Fascist M35's can be found with both German M31 liners and the 3 pad Spanish manufactured liners.
I had just about forgotten about The Rat Patrol, it used to be on ABC on Tuesday nights right after Combat!, my favorite tv show in the '60's! My other favorite WWII shows on during the '60's were The Gallant Men, based upon the Italian campaign, and Twelve O'Clock High. (I refuse to include Garrison's Gorillas in this group - I never liked that show at all!) I actually have a tangential connection with The Gallant Men. Robert McQueeny, whose character was a War correspondent, Conley Wright, grew up in my hometown, Bridgeport, Connecticut. When I was in grammar school my father bought the McQueeny home on Noble Avenue and ultimately built an apartment building on the property. The property had a small office in back of the beautiful Victorian house, and for a few years my father worked out of that office. He had intended to keep the house intact and thought he and my Mom might move into it after the kids finished school. For several years he rented the house to University of Bridgeport students (my Mom taught Spanish there). In about 1967, the student tenants absolutely destroyed the house - M80's in all of the toilets, a few small fires in the bedrooms, massive holes in the plaster walls, etc. - and rather than pouring in good money after bad to restore the home, he knocked it down and put in an apartment building. Before the house was torn down I went through it and found a matching set of fencing foils in the cellar behind the huge boiler. I became a real swash buckler and scared the s#%¥ out of my mother a million times sword fighting with my buddies as a young Errol Flynn wannabe. I still have them, but never let my boys play with them the way I did. Anyway, sorry for the digression, those pictures in the original post stirred up some memories. Regards, Jim G.

[battle gear]

Emile , Jim G, thanks for ID'ing the helmet, it also appears to have the "rolled edge" not found on the Spanish mfg M42

I would love to have that movie prop helmet used in the Rat Patrol in my collection!

[Walkwolf]

The guy is actor Gary Raymond, and is actually one
of the 'Rats' posing as a German soldier.
I love this show.........!