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WWI German Helmet Bringback


Frogskin7
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I purchased this helmet (from the vets neighbor) nearly a year ago and haven't posted it on here yet. If anyone could possibly find more info on this man can you please PM. Thanks

 

Here is the neighbors story about the Veteran and how he obtained the helmet:

 

When I was a child 40 years ago, my grandparents house shared a old dilapidated wooden fence with its neighbor, a Mr. McKenzie. He was a quiet, tall dignified man. A bachalor who liked drinking cold black coffee and being left alone. He and his 3 brothers served in the Great War from the small town of Helena Montana. These brothers joined together and with some large amount of luck and fate made it back home in one piece....physically at least. Mr. Mack as everyone called him was in his 80s at this time and spent most of the spring days resting in his enormous wooden chair on the porch and taking care of his small but immaculate lawn. We would play all day making ten kinds of racket annoying him to no end. He would bark at us repeatedly to be quiet and to stop squealing like wild animals. We didn't know any better and thought him to be the grump of the ages. One day I was playing alone in the yard, Mr Mac was milling about on his side, you could just barly see him watering flower pots hanging along the south wall of his garage enjoying the summer sun. Being about 8 or 9 I was able to drag a small barrel to the fence and climbed up to get a better view of the goings on in the neighbors yard. There was, in his full military uniform. Metals, officers cap and all watering his very...very peculiar flower pots. Along each side of the yard hung 6 different helmits. Germans on one side, American and English on the other.....an line of thick blanketed grass separating the two like no man's land. The flower pots hung upside down by copper straps that nailed to the eves, they were all in a line. As he poured the water in, it ran from the shrapnel and bullet holes. Each top overflowed with deep red poppy flowers. I watched Mr. Mack talk to the helmets and call them by name, scolding them for lack of discipline and unorderly behavior. "it's why you ended up this way" he would say shaking his head. When saw me he instantly threw his watering can at the fence. "Not your business little frog" he yelled. "Hop away now, hop away......"

I ran in and told my grandfather who had served in the Pacific during the second great war. He said not to bother him anymore and that Mack had gave me good advise. What goes on privatly with others is no business of mine. Years later Mr Mack died and distant relatives from back east came and cleared out the house. Everything went to the landfill, his uniform and medals, all the strange flower pots with their deep red poppys......I took my bike home that night from grandpas house and off the side of the road on the edge of the alley was one of the Helmets. It must have fallen out of the dump trailer. I draped it over my handle bars and peddled home as fast as I could. It been with me for 30 years now and I think is ready for a new home.

post-173712-0-25379900-1521381254.jpeg

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M24 Chaffee

Frogskin7, the history of that helmet and soldier that was shared with you makes an interesting short story even if you never find out more. That’s great that the helmet was saved and that you’re now able to enjoy and take care of it. Thanks for sharing. If possible more photos would be great!

 

 

Frank

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Fantastic story of a soldier still fighting a war so many years later, its a story we should all remember. The ones who have fought and felt the fear and unknown know it best and the rest can only imagine and still not be close.

The helmet is one to have and reflect on the Great War the War to end all wars. I like the helmet very much.

Marty

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Frogskin7, the history of that helmet and soldier that was shared with you makes an interesting short story even if you never find out more. Thats great that the helmet was saved and that youre now able to enjoy and take care of it. Thanks for sharing. If possible more photos would be great!

 

 

Frank

I actually made a Video on YouTube of it! My channel is: War Helmets

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Great story. Sad at the same time how his family cared little of his military service. Glad you atleast got to save the helmet.

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Great story and helmet, thanks for sharing!

 

Quite a few McKenzies from Montana, but none were officers. I couldn't find any from Helena or any 3 from the same city for that matter. Possible that you might be able to track down 3 that enlisted on the same date?

Service cards are digitized here:

http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16013coll36/id/27210/rec/15

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Great story and helmet, thanks for sharing!

 

Quite a few McKenzies from Montana, but none were officers. I couldn't find any from Helena or any 3 from the same city for that matter. Possible that you might be able to track down 3 that enlisted on the same date?

Service cards are digitized here:

http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16013coll36/id/27210/rec/15

I tried using the same website as well. No luck unfortunately

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Simon Lerenfort

Considering its use as a flower receptacle it looks in very good condition, paint largely intact. Poor old soldier. Hope you can track him down somehow and keep that story with the helmet. For the sake of his tortured memory.

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littlewilly

I had a similar experience while in grade school many years ago. All the neighborhood kids were told to stay away from "Aunt Tillie's" house, as she was a very crabby old woman who did not like kids. Our problem was that our favorite playground was a vacant lot right next to her property. Most of the time we could play unmolested, but every now and then she would come out and chase us all home with a broom. A few years later I was old enough for my first job, delivering newspapers for the neighborhood. Aunt Tillie was one of my customers. I don't know if she remembered who I was, but she was always polite to me from then on. I never knew her history, but she had been a widow for many years. I was a 6th grader I think when I noticed while walking home from school one day down the alley behind her house, that she had a number of odd looking flower pots along her south property line fence. Upon closer inspection I saw they were all WWI German helmets, all battle damaged in some fashion and completely rusted with no paint left on any of them. I thought that was pretty neat at the time, but never asked her about them once I was her delivery boy. One day Aunt Tillie was gone, and a week or so later so were the helmets. MHJ

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Wow! You can tell the size of a German helmet from a photo? That is amazing!

Mikie

You can tell by looking at the step on the lugs.

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Far out. The lugs are my new fact of the day. As for the helmet planters, since we have two similar occurances here, I wonder if it was a "thing" at some point in time.

Mikie

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