Hello René and Greg,
To Greg's excellent post I would like to add some recent information.
A group consisting out of Kevin de Joode (author of Dutch helmets 1916- 1946) and some serious collectors , have completed a remarkable study of the Dutch helmet. This has been written up in a new book: De Nederlandse stalen helm 1916-1992. Only in Dutch I am afraid.
A lot of what we know of the Dutch helmet has been completed and added on.
More to the point. It turns out the Romanian helmet is a model in it's own right. The Model 38. The curvature of this, Dutch produced, Romanian helmet is more pronounced than the curvature of the Dutch M33 (indeed the M34 turns out to be a M33). So the Romanians opted for a slightly changed M33. The curvature is somewhat divergent, The rear of the bowl is a bit steeper. The liner placed at a steeper angle than the Dutch M33.
All by all very difficult to see when not compared next to each other.
To make matters more complicated: The Dutch started using Romanian helmets as well, with the Dutch coat of arms. The writers of the new book call this helmet the M38.
So the Romanian helmet is not a clone of the M33 (in the past called M34), But a M38.
Not all Dutch helmets that look like M34's (actually M33) are M34's (M33) but can easily be M38's.
So have a close look at your collection and start wondering!
Cheers,
Emile
That's an excellent little posting Emile. I do have a copy of the new book (see De Nederlandse stalen helm | Joode, Kevin de (red.) | 9789090317779 | Jomini ) and while I can see it is obviously impressive and clearly, as you point out, comntains new information, I am finding it all a little difficult.
I knew it was in Dutch but my plan was to scan the text pages and run them through a translator. This isn't as easy as it sounds as the book is over-size = almost coffee-table book size) and hard to manipulate (hard to actually hold and read too - it's *heavy*!) so I have made little progress in the last few months. Also, I was disappointed in the lack of information about the Dutch Mk2 (maybe there isn't much to say about it, perhaps) and the extensive use of the British CPH in Dutch service. And also, there seemed to be some hints that there were variations in the M53 as from different manufacturers, but it's hard to see exactly what.
Obviously I'm not the core audience for the book, and there seems so doubt that for a Dutch colector it is a wonderful thing and I applaud the work of everyone involved. And I'm going to make a real effort to transalte the sections you refer to and see if I can properly understand this 'new' M33 and M38. Do you know, I always wondered why pictures of Romanian troops always seemed to show helmets with much more of a curve that the Dutch ones I had had in hand. Gosh.
Hello Greg,
Thank you for your reaction. For my information, what is a British CPH?
If you wish, I can translate sections for you.
Let me know.
The M53 came in a couple of variants. The VB, LS and U's have roughly the same shape. The VDN helmet has a lower rear section and leans to the French M51. The VDN and U's are magnetic. The others are not.
Cheers,
Emile
Emile, thanks for the offer of translation, but I really need to get a grip and do it myself. I knew I would have to when I bought the book, it just turned into a bit more of a complex procedure than I expected.
The 'CPH' is the Civilian Protective Helmet, also known as the Zuckerman, which of course you know well. When it became clear that the correct name for the helmet was the Civilian Protective Helmet some of us have made an effort to always call it that - sometimes confusing those who are not hard-core Zuckerman (ooops...) fans. I have several of the Dutch-refurbished shells as well as a couple used in Denmark and a Norwegian - one thing I have not been clear about is whether the Netherlands supplied them to Denmark and Norway, or did the Danes etc buy the liners and fit them themselves.
And thank you for the brief note about the M53 - that has increased my knowledge a LOT, short as it was. Thanks!
Bump, and BIG thanks to Emile & Greg for their most highly regarded information.
And again Thanks ZERO.
the M34 Romanian is a sleek low profile design, stronger design than a French Adrian M26
Similar Threads
Bookmarks