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WWI "Send home" Model 1916 German Camo helmet by Capt. O.H. Tower Lansing Mich.


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USMC-RECON0321

This was a walk in at a local show. Great WWI Model 1916 Camouflage German Helmet sent home by 32nd Infantry Division Captain “Osmond Holmes Tower” of Lansing Michigan to his wife; Mrs O.H. Tower at 526 Ottawa St. Lansing Michigan. Tower had a long military career retiring as a Lt Col.

 

The German helmet is also named to the German soldier and the best I can make it out it says; “H. Ka (m or n) d (e or c) le(r ?)

The helmet is stamped TJ 66.

 

I've found several archived newspaper articles on him and his very detailed obituary. Here are some highlights;

 

 

Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries..... Ionia Sentinel Standard, 11 Sep 1943

 

Funeral services for Lieut. Col. Osmond Holmes Tower, 70, were held in Lansing

Friday from the Gorsline-Runciman funeral home

 

 

He served as a private in the United States infantry during the Spanish-

American war, with Company F, 32nd Michigan volunteer infantry. Subsequently

he served from June 19 to November 1, 1916 on the Mexican border with the

Michigan National guard, and from July 10, 1917 until July 2, 1919, he was on

the staff of the Red Arrow division overseas. During World War I he

participated in the Alsace defensive, the Aisne-Marne, Aisen-Aisne, and Meuse-

Argonne campaigns, and was with the army of occupation in Germany as finance

officer of the 32nd division.

 

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post-33000-0-29804700-1490662315.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kurt Barickman

Very cool, when I first started collecting in the early 1970s, I acquired two similar German WWI helmets; camo pattern with t he mailing address affixed directly to the helmet.

 

Congrats,

 

Kurt

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USMC-RECON0321

That is a great helmet, great that it has shipping tag. Nice piec

 

Thanks. I'm always amazed these things made it to their intended destination with nothing more than a glued on address label and a 2 cent stamp!

 

Troy

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USMC-RECON0321

Very cool, when I first started collecting in the early 1970s, I acquired two similar German WWI helmets; camo pattern with t he mailing address affixed directly to the helmet.

 

Congrats,

 

Kurt

 

Thanks and love it being ID'd to a local soldier of the 32nd

 

Wow, that's something I would dream of adding to my collection. Please let me know if you would sell/trade for it.

 

Thanks and the funny thing was, I was set up at the back of the show and the guy who brought this in made it all the way back to me. So I guess no one else would pay his price which I thought was very fair and I didn't hesitate. Although, after I bought it a couple dealers came up to me wanting to buy it from me. I think they were hoping he would make it through show with no takers and then lower his price??

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Wow, congrats - super helmet. As the saying goes, the time to buy it is when you see it. You were smart to not dilly-dally.

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The German's name inside the helmet appears to me to be Kandeler and the H for the first name might stand for Hans, Hermann, or Heinrich, all of which were popular German names in the 1900s.

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Nice find Troy! Sometimes it is good to be the last guy to talk to a "walk in". Especially if you are surrounded by low ball dealers and persistent sellers.

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USMC-RECON0321

That is awesome troy, nice camo, mailing label and a nice ding in the side...great score...mike

 

Thanks Mike,

 

It looks like someone used it for a little target practice with two nice 45 cal size bullet strikes right next to each other. Actually one of the shots probably is what knocked off the left side Frankenstein lug. :(

 

post-33000-0-05198400-1490721531.jpg

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USMC-RECON0321

The German's name inside the helmet appears to me to be Kandeler and the H for the first name might stand for Hans, Hermann, or Heinrich, all of which were popular German names in the 1900s.

 

That's kind of what I was seeing also. It would be nice if I could ID him also, but I wouldn't know where to begin?

 

Thanks

Troy

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USMC-RECON0321

Nice find Troy! Sometimes it is good to be the last guy to talk to a "walk in". Especially if you are surrounded by low ball dealers and persistent sellers.

 

Thanks Tom.

 

Yes I agree, and probably didn't hurt that I was interested in it for my collection and not for resale. Being a "Helmet Nerd" might've had something to do with it also! ;)

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  • 3 months later...

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