Relic Helmet

[John Hodgin]

This arrived from a friend of mine this past Saturday. I've admired it for over a decade though I'm not a collector of relics. For a relic, it's in pretty good condition. It is not a dug, nor a grave item , but a battlefield find. Unusual, more later after other's comments.

[Peter_Suciu]

Hey John--Nice Italian paratrooper helmet. As a relic helmet it does look nice.

I finally broke down and bought a post-war Italian paratrooper helmet. I have serious doubts about most of the WWII era helmets as they were so often re-isssued. Better to spend a $100 I figured and be happy with a post-war helmet that was close to the wartime version than to drop $3000 and have to worry about whether it is real!

[W Petz]

John,

I believe that is an Italian M42 paratrooper helmet. Did it come from a vet? I'm not an expert but I believe they still made this model post-war up until the 1970's I have one coming to me from Italy. The WW2 models are rarely offered for sale and they are expensive when they do show up. You can almost forget about finding an original liner for it unless the one you have still has the liner..it doesn't look like from the photo provided.. post war liners are still available if you decide you want to add one for display. Bill Petz

[W Petz]

John,


I found a liner for your helmet shell on ebay if interested.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...EBWA%3AIT&rd=1
This is the same person I bought my post-war helmet from. Bill Petz

[John Hodgin]

Hi Peter and Bill,
Thanks for the response. This is indeed an Italian para helmet and a WW II one. Since it is a relic, I think it should remain as it was found. The inside is actually quite rusty, and yes, the liner and straps are long gone. It is unusual and remarkable that the exterior paint survived so well.
Regards,
John

[Robbie Farrell]

Para Helmet

John If I'm right, I was the one who acquired this Italian Para Helmet for the person you got this from. Did this come from an AMICI member? If so, there is a wonderful color photograph of the G.I. who picked it up in the desert of Egypt. If this is the same helmet, I hope you also got the photo. You might want to post it (with the permission of the person in the photo).

[John Hodgin]

Hi Robbie,

No, this helmet came directly from the fellow that brought it back. However, this shell is also from North Africa; from near the Ramcke fighting positions.

Would like to hear more about the one you mention.

[W Petz]

John,

I didn't know there were Italian paras with the Ramcke Brigade in Tunisia. I will have to read up on that. Bill Petz

[John Hodgin]

Hi Bill,

The Folgoré were not among the Fallschirmjäger but positioned near them. The Folgoré were trained by Ramcke in Italy for the joint operation, with the Fallschirmjäger, of the invasion of Malta. This of course never happened; both units were sent to Africa instead.
John

[Robbie Farrell]

Italian Para Helmet

John, a friend of yours that has also been to my home picked up a relic Italian Para Helmet from this same place in the desert and I was the middle man that got it to the editor of AMICI. This friend of yours recently retired from the Army and lives in the Tidewater area of Virginia. I have a photo (somewhere) that shows your friend standing at the El Alamein railroad station sign where he found the helmet. Could this be the same helmet?

[John Hodgin]

Hi Robbie,


If you are talking of my SF friend that lives in S___, VA, then yes, this is that helmet. I previously thought you were saying that this helmet was gotten by him from an AMICI member or was traded to an AMICI member. What are you saying? It was loaned for research/photography?

[Eric Queen]

For the hell of it, here is the helmet in wear.

[John Hodgin]

Thanks Eric,

You know, we should do some serious threads on the Italian paras since they were allies of the Fallschirmjäger and important in their own right. Period photos of them would be a good start.

[Luca]

HI guys, wich is the value of an italian para relic shell?
I know they are very rare (complete: impossible!), more than a FJ one...but I have no idea of the price..maybe I can get one...but I don't know wich is the right price..

[Peter_Suciu]

HI guys, wich is the value of an italian para relic shell?
I know they are very rare (complete: impossible!), more than a FJ one...but I have no idea of the price..maybe I can get one...but I don't know wich is the right price..

The big issue would be whether the shell is truly from WWII. The same basic shell was used well into the 1970s. The helmet I posted has a shell that is 100% identical to John's shell. In fact many of the post-war Model 1942/60 helmets used WWII shells with new liners. So while John's has some history it would be very easy to take a post-war helmet, let it rust up a while and claim it was used in Italy or North Africa before 1944.