A very sad HELMET!!

[Dave Kane]

This helmet doesn't even fit my 10 year old daughter and she's tiny!!

It's amazing how 'small' helmets, uniforms etc. became prior to war's end...


Dave

[Dave Kane]

1

[Dave Kane]

2

[Michael Kuligowski]

53 size !! whooaa....
I guess I can wear this one without liner at all..

but still a great lid

[Perry Floyd]

They made them even smaller....a 52..

The average man though was smaller than one of today..

[Glenn McInnes]

Great helmet The small size makes it a nice conversation piece,


Glenn

[Bill Grist]

helm

Dave, Very nice helmet, and a good find so small must be closing days of the war HJ,or VK..wfg

[Luftm40]

Perry is right...they were just smaller. The Germans were also smaller than their US counterparts. Tunics, caps...a lot of really small stuff that was worn by adults. That really is dinky though. I like small helmets for some reason..the proportions look better to me.



Nice helmet BTW Dave

[Terry K.]

Hi All,

I had a size 53 hat before and a long armed small HBT uniform. A friend of one of my son's came over, he was 17. It all fit him like it was made for him. I couldn't believe it. I seem to remember being skinny when I was in the Marines, but not that small.

[Dave Kane]

Thanks Lads, and ofcourse I realize (men) were smaller back when but the older I get the more focused I become on how young (small) some of these fellows probably were!


My first 'love' was helmets and rarely did I come across early or even mid war helmets in this size range...

It just makes a guy think!


Dave

[Perry Floyd]

I've ran across size 56-57 more than any other during my collecting. I've seen more 53 helmets than 60 though. I'd say as much as 5-1 ratio.

[Dave Kane]

Perry, I agree that the 'common' size I found was between 56 to 58 and the 'throw backs' were usually the smaller sizes...then ofcourse we had the 'giants' with the enormous noggins of 60cm


Collector value (unfortunately) at the time was sometimes based on something a guy could put on his head but as more 'history' becomes a factor these little helmets are able to shout louder than the 'giants'!


Dave

[airborne_steve]

Hi guys,

Here is my 2 cents. Accually, alot of these "smallest" helms seem to be unissued or, at least, in better shape than most of the bigger helms. One reason is that they didn't fit a lot of people, even back then and were not issued in as great a quantity. I would assert that the vast majority of the small helmets were likely issued to very (very) young soldiers late in the war.

Agreed that the vast majority of people back then were smaller, however I would think that the average head size 56-58CM would have been the norm of issue for the majority of helms. As compaired today, the norm would be head sizes 57-60CM easy. I know that size 71/4 hats at any of todays military clothing sales store are almost always sold out as compaired to size 63/4 hats.

Steve

P.S. Beautiful helm!!

[JustinS]

Wow Dave, thats an interesting one. I didnt know they got that small!

[ROBB]

That explains why the chinstrap looks so large .I have an ersatz Uhlan helmet thats tidgy .At the end of the wars all thats left is old men and boys ,sad .Rob