What communist items do you collect

[LeeG]

NKVD general

[LeeG]

And last, but certainly not least, an NKVD border general

[LeeG]

Here is the flag: front

[LeeG]

and back

[LeeG]

A few more odds and ends -- an NKVD rifles pullover

[LeeG]

and a salty EM/NCO pullover and pilotka

[LeeG]

and where would we be without a WW2 soviet helmet? Here is my only one, an ssh39

[Soviet]

and where would we be without a WW2 soviet helmet? Here is my only one, an ssh39

Interesting. I have never seen that kind of chinstrap on Ssh-39. Are you sure it is original to the helmet? I'm afraisd not.

Maybe you should post more pictures in an other thread.

[LeeG]

LOL, Soviet.

[LeeG]

.

[Ralph P]

and back

Hey Lee, thanks for posting close ups of your collection. Your hats are very interesting and so is your flag. What year is your flag?

[LeeG]

Hi Ralph,
It is the 524th Chemical Defense unit flag. On the star side it says "524th Independent Chemical Defense Training Battalion" and on the hammer/sickle side it says "For our Soviet Mother<st1 =""></st1><st1 ="">l<st1 ="">and".
The flag is WW2, probably 1942-44 or so.
-Lee
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[Soviet]

LOL, Soviet.

Well all Ssh-39 helmets I have handled do not have this kind of chinstrap.

[DougD]

flag

The flag is an M1942 Soviet unit flag ( they frist really came out in 1943). Before that, the 1940 style flag had the soviet state seal on the front, and a star and hammer sickle combo on the reverse.

M1940 standards are a bit more valuable ( just sold an NKVD 1940 unit flag), but both styles are in demand. This flag is very unusual - Chemical Defence Training unit!

DougD

[LeeG]

Excellent Doug! Thanks for the details on the flag's date.

Soviet, I don't know to say. The chinstrap is the same canvas strap, same connections, etc as seen on ssh36 and early ssh39 helmets in Clawson's book (see pp 31-47). If you don't like it, that's fine, but I'd really rather not get into it here.