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DDR stahlhelmet 1962

Article about: At last; being on holiday in the former DDR I got an early NVA/DDR helmet to get all types of German helmets . It's a m56, I believe, stamped 62. It has a nice used paint job with a dark fie

  1. #11

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    Quote by Irish1965 View Post
    It's a dark leather liner. I think it was hand cut. I'll leave it as it is or it will be to costly. I still have the complete original one for my collection. It was to have one of the last WW2 helmet designs in the collection. Most of my collection is WW1 but sometimes I can't help myself.

    Attachment 1524162
    Thanks,
    I think you are correct and whilst the liner is the early M56 type the leather looks wrong and is definately the wrong colour.

    Just one thing though; the M56 is NOT a WWII design.

    It is very similar to and most likely inspired by the final WWII helmet the BII which was rejected by Hitler on aesthetic grounds (only he could do something that abstract!!) and saw service in very limited "trials".

    There is no direct hereditary link between the two helmets beyond conceptual inspiration.

    An original BII is now so rare as to to be reasonably considered "priceless".

    Beware though, recently fakes have appeared with a clear intention to deceive. They are made from M56 shells some of which have very obviously had the angled rim rolled out.

    There are a couple of threads showing these fakes somewhere on the Forum but I just can't find them at the moment.

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  2. #12

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    "but sometimes I can't help myself..."

    This is a phrase that many on here could easily utter.

  3. #13

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    Hello,

    again to the helmet from # 1 which this is actually about.

    A very nice worn helmet with charisma.

    Inside is still the old first stone gray color.

    DDR stahlhelmet 1962


    The outside was painted in a kind of dusty earth color.

    It is interesting that this is not an isolated case. You can find many helmets that have been painted over in this or a similar color. Sometimes only outside, sometimes inside and outside.
    Since the helmet models 56 and 56/66 are affected, the painting must have been done after 1966.

    So far I have not found any information about this type of painting and when it was carried out. In my opinion, however, it must have been carried out in an organized manner. Possibly for camouflage reasons only for a certain region.

    Regards

  4. #14

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    I realize that this is the later version of the BII helmet. I didn't know that the M56 is not an direct developed successor of the BII. Like you mentioned that the designed prototypes or field trails are extremely rare. Price wise it is a factor 100 that is convincing enough. I think this version is an honest and appealing lid to make part of any helmet collection. Thx for your information.

    Cheers Paul

  5. #15

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    You're welcome but just to be clear the M56 is not a "version" of the BII at all. The M56 concept was perhaps (even obviously) inspired by the BII but they are different helmets.

    Yours is a good early M56 which is the true NVA helmet later modified by changes to the liner system.

    The earlier M54 "Kesslerbombe" was originally the helmet of the KVP.

    The Wikipedia article that states the M56 was designed in 1942 is nonsense and has caused a great deal of confusion.

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  6. #16

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    Hello,

    The NVA helmet M56 is largely based on the 1945 model of the Wehrmacht, but it also has differences.

    Yes this alleged patent registration of the Thale BII / M56 is a fake.

    Regards

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