Named Relic M35 to Gefreiter Willert

[Adravor]

Hello Forum,

The recent posting of the named Relic helmet remembered me of a helmet i had an eye on for quite a while, and i decided that i want to buy it, if the seller, who is stationed in russia, has appropriate shipping and payment methods.

I still want to ask if you see any red flags on the helmet, as you can never be sure.
The helmet is a batteldamaged relic DD M35 which is a good looking piece on itself, but the interesting part is that is has a name "Gefr. Wimmert" as well as an Feldpostnummer "08408/E" written inside, and i´ve been able to track the owner down. The Feldpostnummer leads to the "12. Kompanie" of the "Infantrie Regiment 90 (mot)", this very Unit was renamed 1942 to the "Panzergrenadier-Regiment 90" and then became part of the "20. Panzergrenadier Division".

There exists a website listing all losses of this Infantry Division, which has Obergefreiter Herbert Willert (he was probably promoted but never changed the marking on the helmet) listed as a part of the PzG.90/12th company which fits exactly to the Feldpostnummer on the helmet, fallen on the 15.02.1943 in Nowo-Ssokolniki, a town i could not directly track. I did manage to find his grave with even a small picture of it (Willert Herbert – 20pzgrendiv), which today is in Sebesh, Russia, not that far from the Novgorod region where the Unit was fighting at that time.

In general all this leads me to believe this helmet was owned by this very soldier, atleast it makes me as sure as one can be, as all tracks link to this very person.
I normally dont buy relics anymore, but i like named helmets in general, and a piece that can be tracked to a singel soldier has something very special to it.
Also important is that, as his grave is on an offical War-Graveyard, i dont think it is a grave robbing piece.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[BlackCat1982]

I can see why you would be attracted to this one. It might also be possible to find out how he died now as the casualty details for German losses are listed on Ancestry, but you have to pay for the privilege to see them.

[PotatoDigger]

Nice relic probably with a sad story to it which you uncovered part of.
Well done on your research so far, maybe you'll be able to find out even more.
Too bad that it seems like they went a little overboard with the tricolor cleaning, though.
Looks to have been a DD M35 which was then reissued as a SD Heer with the tricolor painted over.
Luis

[Adravor]

I agree, it looks to me as if the helmet was maybe found in a swamp or in another rather wet enviroment, and the paint over the decal deteriorated faster then the other paint (cleaning surely didnt help). I´m also pretty sure it was period repainted, as i see a nice green shining trough the blue overpaint, it could even be that it had a third, thicker overpaint as i see some remenants of another overpaint, but only in-hand inspection could clearify that i guess.

[AndyM35]

Nice. Looks to have had an overpaint at some time. I think it may also have have a bath in some Oxalic acid at some point.
Andy

[tobi]

Nice relic helmet. It is always interesting to have a piece of history with a story behind it. I like it!
As AndyM35 said, looks like it was in oxalic acid.. nevertheless a nice lid

P.S.: somewhere i saw a this seller already in a discussion, they mentioned that is dangerous to buy from a shop without imprint and paypal.

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

Looks a very interesting helmet with all that information provided. Did you purchase it Adravor? After Tobi has mentioned that I’d like to know what the buying situation is like with that company.

[Giants77]

I like this helmet a lot it just screams the Horrors of war.

[Adravor]

Havent purchased it yet, i´have been in contact with the seller before, but only now i decided i definitly wanna buy it, if the transaction seems trustworthy to me. I´ll post here if i buy - or dont buy it, regarding on how trustworthy the seller seems. I´ve already written him again yesterday, but he has not yet answerd.

[Adravor]

The seller answered, and interestingly enough he even saw this exact post here, and asked if it was mine. He allows PayPal payment, so i´m gonna buy the helmet, as soon as he is able to ship it, which he thinks will take till arround september, if the pandemic regulations are loosend till then (He ships from Finnland, so he needs to cross the border.)

Interestingly enough he also stated the helmet has been in his inventory for over 5 years (He even posted it at Wehrmacht Awards at that time), and noone showed interest in it, which is a suprise to me as it is a very nice helmet imo.

I´m gonna update the thread once it arrives in a few months, and i will add a few outside shots then.
Thanks for all comments!