M 37 Helmet found in Crete!!!

[Jean-Loup]

"Can anyone guess as to what caused the cracks in the shell? "

Metal fatigue in my opinion. These helmets are made from flat sheets that are bent into shape, and clearly this sometimes leads to the metal cracking, depending on the exact helmet and the way it was kept.
WWII US helmets almost all crack around the edges.
I often hear concussion being mentioned, but this is IMO incorrect, particularly because you often see helmets that clearly were in a consussion, but that dont have these kinds of cracks.

[skarts]

I think you are right. The helmet has no visible hits...and these cracks are weird to me

[Willi Z.]

This is an interesting find! Without any doubt we know that M36 and M37 helmets were upgraded before the war with M38 liners and chinstraps. The 2 M36 helmets with M38 liners and straps also have a "LBA38" stamped in the liner. We know for sure that both converted M36 and M37 helmets were worn in Norway in 1940. My M36 was found in an apartment in Oslo around 2001. I have yet to see one worn in Holland, but one day we might see a photo. As for Kreta it makes perfect sense. They didn't throw the helmets away; they would have used them and because the clip-on covers were issued by then, we can't really tell what is worn under them.

A nice historical find!

[Kelly w]

"But it was given to her by her father who took part in the battle and kept it as a trophy"

Wow beautiful trophy that must have meant nothing as it looks like he had it in the manure pile for 50 years before giving it away.

[Remco]

This is an interesting find! Without any doubt we know that M36 and M37 helmets were upgraded before the war with M38 liners and chinstraps. The 2 M36 helmets with M38 liners and straps also have a "LBA38" stamped in the liner. We know for sure that both converted M36 and M37 helmets were worn in Norway in 1940. My M36 was found in an apartment in Oslo around 2001. I have yet to see one worn in Holland, but one day we might see a photo. As for Kreta it makes perfect sense. They didn't throw the helmets away; they would have used them and because the clip-on covers were issued by then, we can't really tell what is worn under them.

A nice historical find!

I've seen a picture of a Fallschirmjäger sitting behind a Vinckers machine gun wearing a M37 helmet with a upgraded chinstrap. The picture was taken near Moerdijk (Holland). Probably you have seen this picture before? But a M36 helmet worn in Holland, I also have not yet seen.

[Sergey K.]

Could someone recomend a method in order to clean it without doing any harm???

Better do nothing with this shell in case you hav't any experience in cleaning of relics .

[skarts]

"But it was given to her by her father who took part in the battle and kept it as a trophy"

Wow beautiful trophy that must have meant nothing as it looks like he had it in the manure pile for 50 years before giving it away.

Recycling WW2 items in Crete was very common. After the German occupation, all the remaining material that were left by the German army, took its place in everyday life!!!
Crete paid a heavy price in WW2 and most of the population was poor. I have seen many strange modifications especially on helmets concerning second use by civilians after the war. For instance i have seen m38 helmet used as a bucket in a well and other m38s used as plants....In Agia village, near prison valley there was an old woman who had at least 10 para helmets as plants....Also the silk from the parachutes was used in order to make clothes and many more. When i have the time i will post a thread regarding recycled paratrooper items in Crete.

[herrzark]

i know and about a tank in a cave with sheeps and cows..dont know if it is true but thats the way in crete the old ww2 stuf is combined with new items and life

[Luis22]

The helmet is too rusted you wont get any improvements even with oxalic acid....

[Totenhead]

I wouldn't bother using oxalic

Just needs a mild acid applied to the lime wash areas to dissolve them

[Jean-Loup]

It seems that in this thread, it was "the little dog that barked the loudest", and was the most impolite, as often.

JL

[Kelly w]

That's fine about recycled WW2 stuff, but then the story is not. There is a big difference between old leftover war stuff and a trophy helmet possibly off the soldat he killed. I'm not saying it was or was not a Crete find, just that the story does not match this badly rusted condition.

[skarts]

That's fine about recycled WW2 stuff, but then the story is not. There is a big difference between old leftover war stuff and a trophy helmet possibly off the soldat he killed. I'm not saying it was or was not a Crete find, just that the story does not match this badly rusted condition.

it is common that even trophies had this fate in Crete dont match it with Europe or America where soldiers brought back many things.....It is very different. I will give you other examples....a lot of rifles fell in the hands of civilians in Crete. After ww2 and civil war that lasted till 1948 many of these trophies were converted to hunting guns....many bayonets or Gravity knives were used to cut meat. The fact that it was a trophy from an enemy didnt mean that they couldnt make a good use of it. Greece was ruined after the war and the people that fought cared only to build up thei hauses and survive. thats why in Crete and Greece in general, most items are in relic or moderate condition even trophies from earlier periods thanks for your good comments

[Willi Z.]

Skarts, you don't have to explain to him any further. He just wants to argue.

I look forward in seeing some of the other things you have discovered.

[grndevil44]

I have a few helmets from Normandy that are from farmers and all are the same condition as this, one was used to feed chickens and another has been used to mix lime also. People treat things differently after they have suffered an invasion and/or years of rationing,

and yes please continue to post your finds