Italian M33 "transitional"

[OldSteel]

Morning everyone,
I'm starting from a recent find, to share this example of M33 helmet, it is very interesting because it was assembled in the immediate postwar period for the new Italian Army and belongs to a very first production, realized using entirely WW2 components still in the warehouses ; I call them "transitional", they differ from the subsequent productions that gradually began to incorporate the M 33/47 components.
The only difference from those of WW2 period is the kakhi-green color of Allied derivation, in fact it had to complete the Italian M47 field battle dress of the same color (very similar to British M49 battle dress).
The will of the new Government was to give a clear cut to the past and to make any similarities with the uniforms of the Regio Esercito disappear.
The only component that remained the same, was just the helmet but disappearing the previous gray-green color.
I am often asked how to identify a WW2 period liner, so I believe the details visible in these photos can be of help, in fact you can notice some important features that identify him as a liner surely WW2:
-Rear stitching with parallel lines
-Air vents of the second type, "with edge"
-Orange felt under the leather
-Military Arsenal ink stamp inside the leather
-Steel liner structure gray-green painted
-Rectangular chinstrap lugs
But many others may be the details, possibly present on these liners, which help to identify them correctly.
This type of configuration was generally soon abandoned by the Army to be replaced by the true M33 / 47, but remained for a long time in use and in the deposits of some particular Units, such as the Carabinieri (Military Police).
Needless to say, if a helmet of this type finishes in the wrong hands ... it can easily be transformed into a WW2 example!

Thanks for looking.
Roberto

[KMMorris]

Beautiful m33 Roberto

[MAP]

Thanks for the tutorial Roberto.

What about the chinstrap itself?

[rra227]

Nice helmet. Rich A. in Pa.

[humble collector]

Looks like it was only dropped once 😉

[OldSteel]

Looks like it was only dropped once 😉

Hi Umble Collector and thank you for appreciating my post,
what you say, I remember it from the time of the movie "Full Metal Jacket", there are those who tell me that this joke was used for the French and others who think are referring to Italians, I do not know but I think all Armies had their difficult times.
P.S .: My father was a Veteran of an anti-guerrilla Unit, who fought on Balkan Front in 1943, where both sides went down very hard, if he was still alive..... I could not convince him of this!

Cheers
Roberto

[OldSteel]

Thanks for the tutorial Roberto.

What about the chinstrap itself?

Hi Micheal,
about chinstrap: Army helmets have all gray-green leather straps in various shades, the buckle is of painted steel of the same color, but sometimes I have also seen them painted in black.
Exist black colored chinstraps, used by Carabinieri helmets on the black painted version, it is also said that natural leather examples have been used, but I have never seen them.
The two rivets fastening the straps to the liner, on WW2 examples I have always seen them in brass or steel, painted in gray-green or black; examples of chromed steel should be post War.
Even for stamps and marks there is no rule, but often the rough part of the strap includes the stamp of the Military Arsenal of Turin (A.T. + n °) made with black, blue or red ink.
Sometimes it is possible to find at the end of the strap, the buckle-free side, the Arsenal's dry logo imprinted on the colored side, and rarely find the marks of the manufacturer, for example a manufacturer who often branded the liner and chinstrap leather was "A. Sinigagliesi of Turin" (A.S.+year).
This sites contains very good information:
.: World War Helmets - Casque Modèle 933 :.
ITALIANO 1933
Here are a few photos of my examples:

WW2 Army


WW2 Army



WW2 Civil Defense and Second Line Troops


WW2 Civil Defense and Second Line Troops
Produced in canvas, in war economy to be used on "4 holes" helmets used by civil protection or second-line troops, these helmets were also used by RSI combat units, due to shortage of steel heavy model.



Post War example with WW2 chinstraps


Post War example with WW2 chinstraps


Post War Police
Beware of these examples, very similar to the WW2 model but made of leather colored in gloss light green; was used on Police helmets until the 1970's.


Regards
Roberto

[MAP]

Thanks for the tutorial. You should create a separate thread on all the features to determine a WW2 or post war helmet . Then maybe the mods can pin it.

[AZPhil]

Ill second that motion!!!
Roberto you have shared some excellent information.
I also believe it should be made a sticky

Semper Fi
Phil

[OldSteel]

Thanks Michael and Phil, and also to other Friends who appreciated this post.
Yours seems a good idea; when I started writing posts on this topic I did not imagine that they would find such an important interest, otherwise I would already have created a single study on it.
We'll see if it's possible to do something, or with some time, I can made a post-summary of WW2 and postwar features, as Michael suggests; I think about it.

Regards
Roberto