German UN helmets

[ogpsycho]

Very rare east german M56 | Bundeswehr Stahlhelm | Bundeswehr Gefechtshelm.

[hoover]

I have never seen an East German UN helmet. Do you have pictures of NVA UN units?

[ogpsycho]

It is also the first helmet for me. Have a look at this website:

http://namibia-by-untag.weebly.com/e...6qcG7cM1CnlFRg

At the moment I collect information about this units and kind of helmets.

Kind regards
Basti

[Klaus1989]

nice helmets! The 30 man Volkspolizei contingent of UNTAG not seem to wear helmets and helmets not mentioned in "Auf deutsch-deutscher UN-Patrouille: Die polizeiliche Beobachtereinheit der DDR in Namibia (1989/90)", which list equipment issued to the mission. They also not patrol armed, although according to the source apparently pistols were supplied. Examples of UN M56 was discussed on another site once with suggestion by a couple collectors, that they were 90s Egyptian. Egyptian Army also used/use M56 in small numbers and is very active with UN peacekeeping missions.

BW Stahlhelm was issued for the Erkundungskommando in Somalia. Possibly also BW contingent of UNTAC, if they were issued helmets? Someone posted a BGS UN helmet here awhile ago, that was supposedly from UNTAC, but have not found any photos of them with helmets during time in Cambodia.

Klaus

[ogpsycho]

Klaus thanks for your input ! I talked with the "blogger" and he said, they had no helmets in Namibia. I do not know, got the M56 helmet the blue paint in Germany or in one of the socialist brother states? The NVA was active but not official. Only in "Äthopien-Mission" in 1987. Here is an interesting link.

The GDR sold military weapons and also helmets. After reunification NVA helmets or tanks:

Tanks from the stock of the GDR in Somalia 1992



Of course there is also the possibility that in one (for example african) country the Army painted the helmets themselves for the UN mission ... and used old NVA helmets!?

"Examples of UN M56 was discussed on another site once with suggestion by a couple collectors, that they were 90s Egyptian. Egyptian Army also used/use M56 in small numbers and is very active with UN peacekeeping missions."


Could you post the link?

Kind regards
Basti

[Peter_Suciu]

Turkey used the East German helmets too in the 1990s. Is that a possibility? A Turkish unit with the UN?

[Klaus1989]

i considered Turkey also, but not sure how active they were with UN peacekeeping missions during times, that they used M56.

Could you post the link?

sadly was in a facebook militaria group. A couple commenters claimed Egypt was possible and one even claimed he heard Egypt issued a few during UN missions, but not know what his source was. It is very hard to find 90s photos of Egyptian peacekeepers to confirm this, but more recent photos show other Warsaw Pact models in different shades of blue with both white and black letters "UN", so there is variation. A collector in Spain also own M56, that is lighter blue with UN letters in black.

Klaus

[dragnet]

Appear to be nice examples, Interesting collecting field

[uscob]

It is also the first helmet for me. Have a look at this website:

http://namibia-by-untag.weebly.com/e...6qcG7cM1CnlFRg

At the moment I collect information about this units and kind of helmets.

Kind regards
Basti

What Kind of 1berets do they wear?
Doesn't look like UN blue.
Maybe the grey Para's?

[Klaus1989]

berets in link look typical blue and not grey to me? Definitely not NVA Fallli berets. UNTAG was issued with berets from the UN central depot in Brindisi/Italy, which is common for UN missions. Another collector even commented, that they looked like similar bad shape as Italian Army berets, that he was familiar with.