B24AT6 Posted June 24, 2013 #1 Posted June 24, 2013 I personally purchased this helmet from the vet that brought it home, who received it from a friend that picked it up in Normandy. My friend was an Ordnance officer and "Collector" during the war that brought home anything and everything he could. At one point he owned every type of Japanese Orliken type cannon, which were used as evidence when Orliken sued Japan after the war. His collection ranged from cannons to Fighter gunsights to K98s. From him I got multiple rifles, knives, and other items including this helmet. The Helmet itself is a German M38 Fallschirmjager helmet camoed with zimmerit paste and Normandy type colors. The luftwaffe decal is peeking through the paint, and on the liner the helmet is named to an FJ, "Fifer".
bhmilitarycollector84 Posted June 24, 2013 #6 Posted June 24, 2013 Wow just wow very very impresive piece
HattonWWII Posted June 25, 2013 #7 Posted June 25, 2013 Very nice and impressive helmet.... Also like the story to go with it Congrats
doyler Posted June 25, 2013 #8 Posted June 25, 2013 Thats a BEAUTY!!!...outstanding Thanks for posting
RANDALL 1953 Posted June 25, 2013 #10 Posted June 25, 2013 Beautiful, One of the nicest FJ helmets that I have seen. Congrats on a super nice & rare lid.
B24AT6 Posted June 26, 2013 Author #12 Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks everybody, this one really is a centerpiece of my collection for "The other side".
MarDiv Posted June 26, 2013 #14 Posted June 26, 2013 Really great FJ Helmet! I'm sure this wil be a big rookie question (since I consider myself one in this collecting world) but was it common to apply zimmerit on TR helmets?
zippy144 Posted June 26, 2013 #15 Posted June 26, 2013 Hi WOW, that is an amazing example of a Normandy FJ helmet.... Just about the holly grail of TR helmet collecting. Thanks for posting. Regards Tom
RANDALL 1953 Posted June 27, 2013 #16 Posted June 27, 2013 Mardiv unusual to see zimmerit although it was used. Most M35s & M42s that I have had or seen were just painted with camo colors over the original helmets paint. Sometimes sawdust or wood chips were added into the wet paint, dried, then painted over again in camo colors. zippy said it, this one is truly a holy grail. To see some examples, go to www.therupturedduck.com and click on the camo helmet section.
MarDiv Posted June 27, 2013 #17 Posted June 27, 2013 RANDALL, thanks for the scoop and the link. Really amazing helmet!
Dirt Detective Posted July 3, 2013 #20 Posted July 3, 2013 Wow!!!!That is one top shelf helmet. Congrats.
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