German Helmet in 'Random Album Picture'

sheepherder · 07-24-2011, 10:51 AM

This pops up quite often, although it is an old listing -

WW2 Helmet for Trade or Sale

http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=20815

It was posted by MCNJ, and every time it popped up I wondered why it was different from other German helmets I see on TV, gun shows, magazines, Sgt Rock comic books etc...

A couple nights ago The History Channel showed a city in Germany during WW II being bombed...The German firefighters were shown hosing down a burning building (or the rubble, actually)...The firemen were wearing the same helmet...

MCNJ commented that he thought it was a fire or police helmet...Several internet web sites also have examples of police/fire helmets almost exactly like MCNJ's...

There is presently a propaganda poster posted here showing two German WW II policemen, with their distinctively shaped helmets...It's artwork, not a picture...but interesting that the artist showed such detail in the police helmet shape...

No real point to this post; just thought I'd comment on it as pic shows up fairly often and I'm sure others have wondered why this helmet looks so different...

MikeP · 07-24-2011, 01:42 PM

1st helmet I got as a kid from a vet was one of these.
They have little thingies to attatch neck protectors and some firemen had a big metal comb like you see on old time helmets attatched along the top.

Mine was near mint, but it did not look enough like the "real thing" at the time to suit me.

tenbears · 07-24-2011, 01:57 PM

The decal on this one is Police as noted with the wreath. Which is an international symbol to note military police. Even our own USAF has a wreath that looks similar to the Nazi one for their Police symbol.

sheepherder · 07-24-2011, 03:44 PM

One of the sites mentioned the 'salt shaker' vent holes as also being indicative of fire/police helmets...

I had a war surplus German helmet chrome plated back in the late 60's when I rode motorcycles daily (this was long before the outlaws had them) and the plater did a great job...but when I tried to drill a couple holes to mount the chin strap, I couldn't touch it...that was some *hard* steel...I finally had a welder do a couple quick burns with a stick to burn the holes through...

tenbears · 07-24-2011, 05:02 PM

The helmet here in this thread with the salt shaker holes is called a civil police helmet.

alanint · 07-24-2011, 10:00 PM

Correct. Combat Police used the same helmet as the army, which was made of much thicker metal. The only difference would have been the decals early war and really no external difference late war.

07-24-2011, 10:51 AM	#1
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,195 Thanks: 1,411 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	German Helmet in 'Random Album Picture' This pops up quite often, although it is an old listing - WW2 Helmet for Trade or Sale http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=20815 It was posted by MCNJ, and every time it popped up I wondered why it was different from other German helmets I see on TV, gun shows, magazines, Sgt Rock comic books etc... A couple nights ago The History Channel showed a city in Germany during WW II being bombed...The German firefighters were shown hosing down a burning building (or the rubble, actually)...The firemen were wearing the same helmet... MCNJ commented that he thought it was a fire or police helmet...Several internet web sites also have examples of police/fire helmets almost exactly like MCNJ's... There is presently a propaganda poster posted here showing two German WW II policemen, with their distinctively shaped helmets...It's artwork, not a picture...but interesting that the artist showed such detail in the police helmet shape... No real point to this post; just thought I'd comment on it as pic shows up fairly often and I'm sure others have wondered why this helmet looks so different... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

07-24-2011, 03:44 PM	#4
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,195 Thanks: 1,411 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	One of the sites mentioned the 'salt shaker' vent holes as also being indicative of fire/police helmets... I had a war surplus German helmet chrome plated back in the late 60's when I rode motorcycles daily (this was long before the outlaws had them) and the plater did a great job...but when I tried to drill a couple holes to mount the chin strap, I couldn't touch it...that was some hard steel...I finally had a welder do a couple quick burns with a stick to burn the holes through... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

07-24-2011, 01:42 PM	#2
MikeP User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ILL Posts: 686 Thanks: 36 Thanked 452 Times in 198 Posts	1st helmet I got as a kid from a vet was one of these. They have little thingies to attatch neck protectors and some firemen had a big metal comb like you see on old time helmets attatched along the top. Mine was near mint, but it did not look enough like the "real thing" at the time to suit me.

07-24-2011, 01:57 PM	#3
tenbears User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 370 Thanks: 3 Thanked 26 Times in 15 Posts	The decal on this one is Police as noted with the wreath. Which is an international symbol to note military police. Even our own USAF has a wreath that looks similar to the Nazi one for their Police symbol.

07-24-2011, 05:02 PM	#5
tenbears User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 370 Thanks: 3 Thanked 26 Times in 15 Posts	The helmet here in this thread with the salt shaker holes is called a civil police helmet.

07-24-2011, 10:00 PM	#6
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	Correct. Combat Police used the same helmet as the army, which was made of much thicker metal. The only difference would have been the decals early war and really no external difference late war.