Heer Single Decal M40 White Wash Camouflage Helmet!

[IHaveTrueGrit]

I bought this helmet today and love your opinions on it. I am extremely pleased with this helmet and I hope you guys like it too. This is a fantastic example of an extremely desirable M40 white wash camouflage helmet. This M40 white wash camouflage helmet helmet started life as a standard single decal Heer M40, with a factory coat of textured field gray paint. During WWII, the exterior of the helmet was coated with a white wash for camouflage in snowy terrain. The white wash was a chalky, lime based, white powder, mixed with water. It was intended that this white finish could be removable in the spring. This helmet retains very obvious remnants of this original wartime camouflage finish. Between the original factory paint and the wartime applied white wash, the exterior of the helmet retains more than 95 percent of the original finish. The single Heer decal on this helmet is beautiful and also about 95 percent intact, with some typical age toning. The heads of the split pins used to affix the liner have a smooth paint that did not retain the white camouflage finish. Inside, the helmet is size and manufacturer stamped “ET64” and has the lot number “4 4898.” The interior skirt and dome retain nearly all of the original field gray paint. The liner is complete, with some age toning and a couple of minor abrasions. The original draw string is still present in the liner.

[Toecutter]

I have never heard of this removable white wash,will let more knowlegable collectors weigh in on it.Thanks for showing it.

[asterperious]

Whitewash was a removable coating. Basically just slaked lime and a binder and water. It was usually applied thick and evenly over equipment, vehicles, artillery, aircraft etc. and as the winter and weather wore on it would degrade, dilute and wear and blend really nicely to the surroundings. once snow was gone, warm water and a brush would remove the remainder as would warm rains etc..it was extensively used on the Russian front and more limited in the winter of '44/'45 in western Europe.

[MAP]

Grit:

A lovely helmet. Looks like a classic lightly toned ET decal. Solid liner with wear matching the helmet. Nice ex white wash. You did well IMHO. Missing chinstrap is a minor minus for me.

ToeCutter: Here is a whitewash without most of it being washed away. Hard to find them like this. White wash is accepted. There are some who argue that painted white helmets are fake but the majority believe there are originals out there but you need to be very careful (but that applies to any TR item).

[Schwerpunkt]

You did well , nice helmet.

[Blackdog]

A very nice looking helmet, the white wash and decal really make this lid. The leather is usually attached to the linerband with the seam at the rear, but a very nice example.

[HoundsTooth]

Very nice helmet and the decal is in great condition - hard to find like this.
Nick

[real steel]

Agree with all. A "delightful" helmet.
D.

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

A very nice find, good winter cammo residue on this one, very pleasing to the eye. Leon.