Two New Arrivals

[Tom Kibler]

Considering where the source & where he got it - I'd be skeptical a post war decal had been applied & removed - but since I wasn't "there" - who knows.


Thanks for the compliments guys. I don't believe the M40 SD/DD was ever issued. I believe it was used in a photo studio for portrait shots. It certainly never saw combat!

As for the other, the camo, I believe it's sawdust and "stuff". I have a very similar M35. The history makes it neat.

[Willi Z.]

While I certainly don't know the source, I do know that veterans did alot of odd things to helmets after the war. In fact, some bought helmets in the early '50s at shows to replace one they might have misplaced since the war. Some of these had problems, thereby passing some "veteran buys" with concerns to the collecting world. I once looked at a FJ helmet that came straight from the vet. I was told I would be seeing a real veteran pickup double decal FJ helmet. Well, one look and I could see that ther national colors had been added at some point. The decal was certainly not original. Well, the person who found it insisted that the helmet was this way as the veteran brought the helmet home. I told him that I could flake the national colors off with my finger nail. Well, I bought the helmet because it was a nice mid-war FJ helmet (clearly not an apple green painted helmet, so it was obvious the decal had been added). I bought it, took my nail to the decal and it almost completely flaked off in one peice. Without damaging the paint, but leaving a similiar border as this one (a sponge with some water removed the border). The guy was shocked . My point is that these absolute sources do not guarantee that the item has not been enhanced at some point since the war. The item still has to stand on it's own. Original decals, especially something size of a shield, can not be removed without leaving damage to the paint. Just my opinion on this....

[LeeM]

Do you have pics of the liner of the first one?

Lee

[Perry Floyd]

What's the date on the liner Tom? The few original Luft. or Heer M40DD I've seen have allways been in pre-war paint..

The camo looks nice, I would saw sawdust mixture from the pics..

[Tom Kibler]

Willi - I've experienced the exact same circumstances. Collecting for 30+ years, I remember selling to veterans as a "youngster" - those WWII German items they were unable to bring home when they were there. They wanted something (20-30 years after the war) to hang on the wall or put on the shelf.


Many of the vets bought reproductions because they were cheaper - and "looked" like what they remembered. Years later, the family members claim they were brought home during the war... I know all too well your point - and it's a good one.

I own two M40 DD HR's. Both are in the early, dark green smooth paint. Because the decal is gone, with no traces left - who's to say if it was real or not - factory applied or post war by the vet or someone else. You have no argument or insistance from me that it was a factory DD HR.

Perry - as for the dates - both the liner and chinstrap are dated 1940.

In my opinion, I will and do consider it a SD M40 "smokin" lid. I'll try to get pics of the liner - but my camera has been giving me a fit. Too much work from the pics for another "work".

Thanks guys - for your insight.

Tom