GeneralCheese Posted January 20, 2014 Share #1 Posted January 20, 2014 I got extremely lucky on eBay yesterday and snagged this M42 before someone else could, and before eBay could take it down. The seller says his father brought it back from France after the war, so I will try and ask him some more info about his father. I don't have it in hand yet, so I will post some more pictures when I do. I'd say this is a nice start for a German helmet collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted January 20, 2014 Share #2 Posted January 20, 2014 Nice score. Please do let us know if you find out the veterans outfit information. Thanks for sharing. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkash23686 Posted January 20, 2014 Share #3 Posted January 20, 2014 The term "bring back" seems to be used used loosely in a lot of the threads I see in this section. To me getting a helmet off of ebay is not getting a vet bring bring back with a grouping or directly from a vet. Specially when you have no info on the vet at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted January 20, 2014 The term "bring back" seems to be used used loosely in a lot of the threads I see in this section. To me getting a helmet off of ebay is not getting a vet bring bring back with a grouping or directly from a vet. Specially when you have no info on the vet at all. I see what you mean, but it still is a bringback from a veteran, not found randomly in some barn or estate or from another collector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted January 20, 2014 Share #5 Posted January 20, 2014 I know where Jamie is coming from here. Yes...someone, somewhere "brought it back" once upon a time, but I think the underlying raison d'etre of this particular forum was for members to post items of non-US origin, but with some kind of direct provenance, like "Here's the Luger my grandaddy traded for a box of C-rats"...or whatever. Know what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshman Posted January 20, 2014 Share #6 Posted January 20, 2014 Was it from a dealer or a private sale, great looking helmet, good luck with your research on it, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted January 20, 2014 Was it from a dealer or a private sale, great looking helmet, good luck with your research on it, From the vet's son, so a private sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshman Posted January 20, 2014 Share #8 Posted January 20, 2014 Hi GeneralCheese It sounds good to me, some times you have to go with your gut feelings, it would be nice to learn more on it, all the best. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted January 20, 2014 I sent the seller a message asking about his father, he said he would send me the information later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted January 20, 2014 Share #10 Posted January 20, 2014 If the family are the seller and they say it's a bring-back, then surely that's what it is?. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted January 21, 2014 Here's the story I got from the seller: My father dropped out of high school his junior year to join the paratroopers. Since he was only 17 he needed parental consent, but didn’t get it. So he drove away to join the Merchant Marine, because he heard they weren’t as picky. During the war he served in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean (North Africa) and later the Pacific, in convoys. In North Africa he picked up the habit of doing a little black market trading. In terms of the helmet: Dad was in Marseille very shortly after the liberation of Paris. He and some buddies decided to go to Paris in a “borrowed” Jeep. A few miles up the road they met someone who told them German paratroopers had dropped somewhere between them and Paris. He never knew for sure if they really did, but he and his buddies for sure went back to Marseille in a hurry. He didn’t know where he got the helmet (my guess is Marseille), but during this adventure he traded American cigarettes (liberated from his ship) for it and some other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshman Posted January 21, 2014 Share #12 Posted January 21, 2014 What a great story, thank you for sharing it with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted January 21, 2014 Share #13 Posted January 21, 2014 Solid M42. eBay is a sort of cyber yard sale. To me this is no different than finding the helmet from the family at a yard sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share #14 Posted January 21, 2014 He also said that his father joined the 82nd AB after the war, but no other details of his service there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted January 21, 2014 Share #15 Posted January 21, 2014 Solid M42. eBay is a sort of cyber yard sale. To me this is no different than finding the helmet from the family at a yard sale. M, My feelings exactly, I've made some nice "direct from the family" buys on ebay, some I keep in touch with. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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