DAK insignia inside helmet apron

[ITALIANWARFRONT]

This appears to be an outstanding helmet and I would like to see larger pictures in the daylight to appreciate this beauty completely

Giorgio

[RonR]

What a marvelous helmet!

Really top notch!

WOW!

[RonR]

Double post......

But cannot admire this helmet too much!

[jacquesf]

Spectacular, one of the best I have seen of the forum. Jacques

[DougB]

Spectacular, one of the best I have seen of the forum. Jacques

I agree, this is the best helmet I have seen here all year.

A helmet for the very top shelf.

[mr slug]

Absolutely fantastic !

[sscrooge]

i have just sent santa my prezzy want list and that helmets number one on my list, thanks for showing this superb helmet rgds Dave

[Bond]

The holy grail of all DAK/tropical headgear collectors.

Thanks for showing this

Jerry

[Larry F.]

Outstanding example Ralph.

[Ralph Heinz]

Kurt Roland's helmet

Gentlemen,

Years ago I had real concerns that posting a photo of the painting on the apron would serve to stimulate some faker to use this information to produce other similiar markings in helmets with fictious names and units. At least you can all be aware if something like this should now happen.

However, we all appreciate seeing outstanding items -- I drool over John Hodgin's book for that matter seeing so many truly great FJ items -- so I'm glad I finally relented and posted the photo of Kurt Roland's helmet.

While it is true that early in N. Africa only the infantry and engineers wore steel helmets and the artillery did not, later on many others were issued helmets to include an Obgfr. in a bakery companie in Jan. 1943 (probably because German units were being strafed). The men of the "Listening Company" were actually involved in combat in June 1942 at Marsa Matruh and this unit had actually been used by Rommel earlier in the invasion of France so they may have been issued helmets at that time.

Correspondence from the Deutsche Dienststelle revealed that Kurt Roland was captured on July 10, 1942 and held by the British at Faid on the Suez Canal. He was released April 22, 1947.

Perhaps other items that I suspect may have been sold by the family of Kurt Roland in Germany after his death may surface in collections. If so, we'd all like to see them. Here is the document for his year of faithful service -- there must have been many of these given out but this is the only one I've seen so far.

[anders1940]

Thats pretty normal.

Doug,
i never said it wasnt normal, i said it was a different colour and thats why i wanted to see closer pictures of the outside paintwork.
Maybe you could start a thread Doug, showing us all the DAK helmets you have with names etc in the skirt, in a different tan to the exterior.
Im not saying that the name in the skirt is fake, as i think it looks like the real deal.However, the pictures of the exterior do look strange.Again, it could be the pictures.

[Mark Gibson]

Ralph,
as you already know, Kurt Roland's helmet is truly outstanding.
It is always a pleasure seeing it.

Regards,

Mark

[RUHL13]

A definate one looker
As for the paint difference, anything is possible, sun hits the top, not under the skirt?
Or possibly other paint was used later to add his name, unit and palm?
Just some thoughts
Outstanding history behind it
Regards,
Gary

[francis006]

Looks very nice so far , indeed this helmet deserves better pics

[Jean-Loup]

"While it is true that early in N. Africa only the infantry and engineers wore steel helmets and the artillery did not, "

I am pretty sure ALL German troops in north Africa were issued helmets, even if they didnt wear them the majority of the time.
Outstanding helmet by the way. Do you suspect it was kept by its original owner during captivity?

JL