West German Helmets

[TRIMAZE]

Hi,
It seems to be very rare. Never seen with the BGS.
On page 9 of this thread, Gordon shows a M 18 helmet of a reserve police unit. Never see one myself.
They did not only recycle WH helmets but manufacured new ones of M40 style, since 1950, with rivets for police units and without rivets for the M 35/53 of the BGS.
Regards,
Trimaze

[reichenberg]

I am unable to post pictures but there is an 'Austrian Border Guards' helmet listed on the Crow Valley Militaria website which is an overpainted Quist. The badge is missing but the holes are clearly visible. It is now sold but it looks like an early re issue helmet to the bereitschaft gendarmerie?

Item 51100 in the online shop.

[Gordon Craig]

Hi,
It seems to be very rare. Never seen with the BGS.
On page 9 of this thread, Gordon shows a M 18 helmet of a reserve police unit. Never see one myself.
They did not only recycle WH helmets but manufacured new ones of M40 style, since 1950, with rivets for police units and without rivets for the M 35/53 of the BGS.
Regards,
Trimaze

Jeroen P,

I have never seen any reference, or pictures, of M18 style helmets used by any post WWII organization in the BRD. I would never say something never happened but there were so many WWII helmets around to modify it does not seem likely that M18 helmets would have been modified.

Trimaze,

I've gone through the thread and was unable to find any reference made by me to an M18 helmet used by a Reserve unit on page 9. Perhaps I missed it. Would please tell me which post # you were referring to.

Regards,

Gordon

[TRIMAZE]

Hi Gordon,
on this thread, west german helmets page 9 post 230 on 02-28-2010 at 04:30 PM.
But you were posting for another member : Esbitmannchen.
Sorry for my error !!
regards,
Trimaze

[Gordon Craig]

I am unable to post pictures but there is an 'Austrian Border Guards' helmet listed on the Crow Valley Militaria website which is an overpainted Quist. The badge is missing but the holes are clearly visible. It is now sold but it looks like an early re issue helmet to the bereitschaft gendarmerie?

Item 51100 in the online shop.

reichenberg,

While a bit off topic, your question deserves an answer. You are correct in that the picture shown on the Crow Valley Militaria site is a war time helmet reworked for the Austrian Gendarmerie. The Gendarmerie wore these helmets until 1960 when both the polizei and the Gendarmerie were issued the standard Bundesheeres helmet. This helmet was worn without insignia of any kind by the polizei and the Gendarmerie.
For a brief time in the mid 50s the Vienna polizei formed an Honour Formation who wore M18 style helemts with oak leaves on the left side.

I would like to post a picture of the helmet you referred to as sold by Crow Valley Militaria but they specify that their pictures can be reproduced only with written permission.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Hi Gordon,
on this thread, west german helmets page 9 post 230 on 02-28-2010 at 04:30 PM.
But you were posting for another member : Esbitmannchen.
Sorry for my error !!
regards,
Trimaze

Trimaze,

Thanks for the post number. Post 230 actually shows up on page 16 of this thread, at least on my computer it does, and with the post number I could find it easier.
As you say, I was posting the info and pictures for someone else. I have never sen an M18 issued to the polizei either but anything could have happened in the early post war years.
Thanks for taking part in this thread and on the forum. Your knowledge is valuable to us.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

I am unable to post pictures but there is an 'Austrian Border Guards' helmet listed on the Crow Valley Militaria website which is an overpainted Quist. The badge is missing but the holes are clearly visible. It is now sold but it looks like an early re issue helmet to the bereitschaft gendarmerie?

Item 51100 in the online shop.

reichenberg,

A picture of a post WWII Austrian Gendarmerie helmet. It is from Ludwig Baer's book "Von Stahlhelm zum Gefechtshelm" Band 2 (1919-1994).

Regards,

Gordon

[chiffonnier]

BGS (?) wearing helmets on a 6X9cm snapshot.

[Gordon Craig]

Kees,

I would say yes. Dates from the time before the arc was introduced. The BGS eagle is clearly visible on both men's tunics.

Regards,

Gordon

[uscob]

Got this 2 weeks ago.
Based on a West Berlin Helmet what was sold to Schleswig Holstein as they used them longer in the Riot Police or maybe because Berlin needed Money again. I told before that we bought a whole Bunch of Berlin Marked Sweaters with SH Patches from Eutin, so I got a lot of Ex-Berlin Stuff from the Schleswig-holstein Police, used what what reason ever. Originally, this Helmet came from the Collection of an Ex SH Cop.

[TRIMAZE]

BGS M 35/53 with special chinstrap.

Hi,
Here are two helmets Model 35/53 of the Bundesgrenzschutz "with reinforced chinstrap"





These helmets are model 35/53 of the manufacturer L & S, on which the classic chinstrap was modified by two strong leather oval pieces riveted on the rim of the liner for better stability during acrobatic manoeuvers: climbing, , close combat, crowd control, riot etc. .... The whole is enhanced by an adjustable chin strap riveted to the main leather piece.

The camouflaged model has an extra strap at the rear to avoid tipping the helmet forward.





The geen helmet, which seems to be the standard model, has no rear strap.





The liners :

The regular green helmet.



The camo helmet.



The two shells are early models, before the creation of circular logo of L & S manufacturer :



66 is the size of the shell, and 59 the year of manufacture. In my opinion, 59 can not be the liner size because , in this logo configuration, you can find only 59, even with 53/57 liners.

These two helmets come from the GSG9 ,where they have been probably tested during the creation of the group in 1973, to compete with the Bundeswher para helmets before the final choice of the well known M 38 para style helmet of the GSG 9 group.




The same causes producing the same effects, the para-type helmet M 38 prevailed against the M 35/53 because of his acrobatic abilities, like its predecessor 35 years ago.

These helmets were never in use in the GSG 9 and remained stored until the 2000s, when they were phased out.

The camouflaged one was painted by a member of the group to use as an "agressor" sniper helmet during a demonstration or exercice. If not regular, it is therefore not a fake! The guy who did it imitated the camo helmet cover of the TIG helmet;

This helmet is briefly analyzed by Ludwig Baer in volume 2 of his book about German helmets ( page 29)!

There was no or very little use of these helmets even by conventional units of the BGS, if one refers to the former members photo websites.

Regards,
Trimaze

[Gordon Craig]

Trimaze,

So these helmets actually exist can be added to our collections! Great news.

Regards,

Gordon

[TRIMAZE]

Ludwig Baer

Hi,
A tribute to Ludwig Baer. 1936 - 2013







Thank you for your great work Mr BAER.

R. I. P.

[Gordon Craig]

Trimaze,

Thanks for posting this tribute to Ludwig Baer. We owe a great debt of gratitude to him for his books on German helmets. He will be sorely missed. His legacy will live on in his books.

Regards,

Gordon

[TRIMAZE]

Got this 2 weeks ago.
Based on a West Berlin Helmet what was sold to Schleswig Holstein as they used them longer in the Riot Police or maybe because Berlin needed Money again. I told before that we bought a whole Bunch of Berlin Marked Sweaters with SH Patches from Eutin, so I got a lot of Ex-Berlin Stuff from the Schleswig-holstein Police, used what what reason ever. Originally, this Helmet came from the Collection of an Ex SH Cop.

Hi uscob,
Very fine helmet!
I have never seen a SH police helmet before.
Very rare, even for sale on german websites.
regards,
Trimaze