SWISS M18, early version, a bit unusual

[Greg Pickersgill]

Here we have a fairly straightforward quite early (but not the earliest) example of the Swiss M18. Nice condition, Army issue, usual 'small' (ie ordinary rather than huge) size, legible issue number. Marked 'K' on the interior nape. Tidy. And before I forget thanks to Mr OsiusGaming for tipping me off to this one, he knew I couldn't resist.

Anyway, it is always a good thing to remind people of these lovely helmets, but this one is also a bit odd. See further down after the general arrangements -







Now here's the interesting bit; on the earliest M18 there's a completely normal 2-part leather chinstrap. Some time after introduction this was replaced by a single leather strap with a carbine clip that was attached to a thick wire loop flexibly mounted on the other side of the helmet. You've all seen that, it is the arrangement on pretty much every M18 anyone has ever seen (except for rich Swiss collectors who have *all* the originals...)

This is a bit odd in that the short end, where the flexible loop mounting should be, is just a simple metal thing with a loop at the one end and a carbine clip at the other (second pic below). The carbine clip actually fixes it to the shell. The thing itself is is an unusual but not unknown extender, used when the standard issue chinstrap is too tight. What is more unusual is that it is fixed to an original solid rod mounting, hard to see in the photo of the thing in question (third pic) but more obvious on the pic of the other - leather strap - end (fourth pic). It seems to me that most of these have been replaced with a different mounting to accomodate the wire clip end when the shift to the 'new' chinstrap happened, and this is something of a makeshift arrangement. I can't actually get the little extender thing off its bar - it would take considerable force to get it over the edge of the liner and I just don't want to risk damage.

Anyway, interesting, and I'd love a dozen M18 collectors to rise up and tell me that this is as ordinary as snow in wintertime - at least than I'd know there are some out there and I'd learn something new.

[emileverbunt]

Nice acquisition Greg!

Cheers,
Emile

[Greg Pickersgill]

Thank you Emile - nice to hear from you again!

Now, just so as we're all clear as I feel I didn't really explain this properly with pictures, here's the chinstrap mounting that is usually seen on *every* M18-series except the earliest unmodified ones from before ...well, I don't know exactly but definately before 1940 as this was the default fitting then and *many* original M18 were modified, so probably some time in the 1930s (someone must know).

Anyway, the original chinstrap mounting was a simple cylindrical bar held in a clip welded to the frame. You can see that fairly clearly in my original posting. The new version for the short end of the chinstrap assembly was this -



which is clearly substantially different. Se we can reasonably say that the helmet is an unmodified M18 that lost its original two part leather chinstrap - which may have been no longer an available spare part - and had this solution applied. Exciting, isn't it! (Yes, it is).

[Tinhat]

Greg,
Nice helmet, my guess would be that the extender clip being used as a work around to make the clip style chinstrap practical to use on a not modified M18. As you point out the fixed bar bail makes it hard to clip and un-clip chinstrap which negates benefit of the quick removal clip. By adding the extender, its get around that problem.

Logically this would also mean that yours is a pre-1930 M18 before the wire loop bale was fitted. The bales are welded to the shell so not likely replaced during any refurb.

Steve

[OsiusGaming]

Glad to see the helmet finally arrived! Good condition and comes with a mystery, those are the best kinds of helmets I'd say!