Operation Dragoon Paratrooper helmet.

[Jean-Loup]

I had posted pictures of this helmet last year already, but people didnt seem to be convinced of its authenticity. So now I am posting it again, with the story that develloped in the meantime, and a couple of period pics of this type of helmet being worn. I would like the collecting world to recognise that these helmets existed on the scale of a whole regiment (if that term can be used in the case of the 517 parachutist regimental combat team), and to know what these things are if you happen to see one at a garage sale.
Also, I admit this is my only rare helmet, so its the only one worth showing the forum. It is not for sale at any price by the way.

Lets start. For some reason, probably lack of proper equipment, the 517th paratroopers got normal infantry helmets changed into paratrooper helmets for their southern France jump on august 15 1944. These helmets were specificaly modified to be used during a combat jump, by changing the chinstrap construction.
Here is a trooper before embarquing on the planes bound for Southern France. The helmet is clearly a 517th modified type. Sorry that the picture is so small, but for some reason, I couldnt post it bigger... For people who want to see entire groups of troopers wearing the modified helmets, take a look at Michel de Trez's book about the southern France campaign.
(Edit: go to page 4 fpr some nice period pics of this type of helmet in wear)

[Jean-Loup]

Here is another picture of a 517th paratrooper once they were in the mountains at the Italian border. It looks like he is wearing the modified helmet, although I admit it hard to see...

[Jean-Loup]

Here is my helmet. I found this helmet several years ago in a small village, for a small price. I was also small back then. I immediatly saw that the trooper who had owned this helmet had written his name on it. It looked like "Moles"

[Jean-Loup]

I didnt try to do any searching for Mr Moles for severla years. Then I stumbled upon a list of all the 517 troopers and saw that there was only one Moles in the 517th. His name was Marvin Moles, from I company.

[Jean-Loup]

The same picture with the E and S from "Moles" highlighted. Hard to see as the camo paint goes over the letters.

[Jean-Loup]

After a bit, I searched for Marvin Moles in the white pages, and miraculously found out that he was still alive and well.
Apparently, he had gotten rid of the helmet while walking thru the village where I found it over 50 years later, because of the heat. A young french fellow named Adolf (Yes, that was his real name) added his own engraving to the helmet: "souvenir du 24 aout 1944, Adolf E."

[Jean-Loup]

After I phoned Marvin Moles, I exchanged several letters with him, and some pictures as well. I sent him pics taken at the same places he had taken pics of himself in in 1944.
Here is a close up of the chinstrap system. (edited to not be to helpfull to future fakers)

[Jean-Loup]

Same pic with the 1944 engraved by the french kid highlighted.

[Jean-Loup]

Here is the helmet with a period picture of Marvin Moles beneath it. In the summer, I invite Marvin to come over to France for the 60th anniversary of the France jumps. He couldnt come that early, but did accept to come in october, for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Sospel.

[Jean-Loup]

So in october, Marvin, his daughter and her husband came over for about 5 days. Here he is metting up with his helmet after more than 60 years... I am the other guy. To the left you can see the newspaper article that had appeared in Marvins locality, explaining that he had been contacted by a person who claimed to have found his helmet in France.
This picture makes me think: the things we wear are expendable. Its us that is important. But here you see the expendable object almost as new, while the original wearere has suffered from time. I posted this picture in the Kneip last week, but got no reactions.

[Jean-Loup]

Here is Marvin in the village where he had abandoned his helmet. The two others are local ex-kids, friends of the youg Adolf who had kept the helmet as a souvenir. Unfortunatly, Adolf himself died about 10 years ago.

[Jean-Loup]

Here is Marvin and my Dad speaking to a local lady who remembered vividly the day the americanc came to her village. Unfortunatly, while these events were occuring, I was in a bus coming back from Croatia, so did not whitness these unique moments.

[Jean-Loup]

Next, Marvin was off to Sospel, with me as well this time. Here he is taking a ride in a jeep, up to one of the Maginot Forts. His daughter, a local collector, and a local ex-youth are also visible.
This isnt the best picture of him. He is still in shape, and climbed up the equivilant of several stories while in the maginot fort. When I started translating what the guide was saying, the tourists told me to .

[Jean-Loup]

Marvin was given a medal of the city of Sospel by the Mayor, and a standing ovation by the reenactment groups present. I am glad I wasnt there any more (already back on the way to Croatia), because I think the emotion would have been to strong for me.

[Jean-Loup]

And for the conclusion, what you were all wondering. Did he ask for his helmet back? No he didnt. In fact he didnt care for it any more today then he had in 1944. What he did care about was the fact that someone had taken the trouble of finding out who he was, and had tracked him down. Tracked and hacked!

This is how Marvins daugther described the encounter with the helmet after 50 years. It makes me sound like a freak. But isnt that what we collectors are?

"After arriving back at the G...’s home, Jean Loup showed Marvin his museum of artifacts and had pictures taken of Marvin, Jean Loup and Marvin’s helmet. Jean Loup said the helmet is his most prize possession because it is in such perfect shape where it was in the attic all those years. Jean Loup told Marvin that he does not let anyone touch the helmet and he keeps it in a glass case. Marvin wrote in Jean Loup’s guest book for him to keep with the helmet."

I hope you enjoyed the story

JL<o></o>
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