my small helmet collection, from New Zealand

[gecko NZ]

as ive said im from new zealand, we dont get too much in the way of helmets and stuff turning up here because were so small but if something does turn up its normally pretty interesting, because over here we dont need to worry about fakes and the like, there were a few training camps during WW2 in New Zealand one of them is about 10 mins down the road and theres always new and dangerous things being found there (if you know what i mean)

 

so heres my collection to date:

this is a post war M1 helmet with a 62 firestone liner i made look like my favorite xbox game brothers in arms 101st, 502nd PIR 2nd battalion, Fox company NCO

 

this was ex-NZ army they brought alot back from vietnam and some parts of our army still use these

 

this is a fixed bail shell i picked up for $10NZ, which is about $6-7US, the paint is all gone im thinking about painting it up like a navy M1 (i have a navy liner chin strap)

 

this is another fixed bail shell i just pict up cost me $27NZ, i was going to strip it down but once it turned up i couldnt, during WW2 american troops came back here for rest and resupply from what i ive been told and this may have been left here during this time, the paint looks original because there is no other colours under it and its cork, it doesnt seem to have been repainted.

 

i also picked up a kevlar helmet because the people selling it didnt know what it was "army hat" with some webbing for $40NZ which work great for paintball

[gecko NZ]

heres some helmet covers for M1's and my kevlar helmet ive got, note one is a NZ army camo pattern

 

 

these are the different kind of liner chin straps ive got (i have 2 other brown ones ive not shown) 2 are old but post WW2, one looks newish and maybe viewed as a "repo" but if it is it may have been made here cause it was used in the NZ army, the other one is blue and ive been told its from the navy

[wdphll]

That camo M-1 looks really interesting! Could you take some more pics of that one? Is front seam, fixed bail? What does the inside of the liner look like, if there is one? Can we get some close ups of the paint also? I would be interested in this helmet, if you ever want to sell it please let me know!

 

Wade

[Tonomachi]

Out of curiosity what did you mean that there are always things that are new and dangerous being found at this former US training camp in New Zealand? Are you talking about unexploded ordinance buried in the ground?

[MAS36]

the fixed bail helmet looks good "as is" it has a salty battle used look

 

maybe you should leave it original?

 

that camo painted helmet does look original , it is a rare find, nice helmet.

[man860]

nice little collection there gecko...

 

i know what its like living in a place that never has anything nice as far as miitaria goes...but keep digging, once in a while you find something nice in the most unexpected places.

 

and i really like that camo...put some close up pics of the paint and shots of the inside if you can.

 

btw, for the xbox 360--call of duty 3 is sick! sick!! and MoH Airborne is due out in 11/4.....can't wait...might just have to drop out of school

[ccmax]

Good items. From the pic (note the rust bleed through) the camo paint looks old on that fixed bail. It should be best to leave the helmet as it is.

[gecko NZ]

Out of curiosity what did you mean that there are always things that are new and dangerous being found at this former US training camp in New Zealand? Are you talking about unexploded ordinance buried in the ground?

 

lol, when the aremicans left they didnt take anything back, theres always stacks of mortars, grenades and rifel grenades being found, my dad remembers kids bringing grenades to school and throwing them round the play ground (then the police would turn up and take it all lol), my grandmas sister meet her husband at this training camp during the war, and ive read in the local paper a while back that Donald James Yarmy "Don Adams", or maxwell smart agent 86 also trained there.

[gecko NZ]

i will add some better pics of the camo M1 tonight, there is no way i will be re-painting it, i was going to before i brought it becasue i thought it wasnt the original paint job but once it turned up and it was in my hands i thought i cant make this look any cooler than it already is lol.

 

its fixed bail, front seam, with steel chin strap clips, the green paint shown on top is on the inside too, it didnt come with a liner ( i say that but it came with a polistryene one that looks like it might have been from a bycycle helmet), the only liners i have ATM are 62 firestone ones, almost got a ww2 cappac but the local custume hire couldnt figure out how to make money out of me so said no.......... wankers lol

[gecko NZ]

here are some more pictures, it has about 1 stress crack on the front and about 4 at the back its a mcord shell, i had alittle scratch at it when i got it and there is no other colours under the paint.