Foreign Volunteer Decals

[Matthew S.]

Hi y'all. German helmet have always been my passion and those with foreign decals are of special interest. Unfortunately, much of the information on them is sketchy. I am trying to get a whole list of nationalalities for which decals were issued for helmets. This is only decals, not stencils. I will list what I have already seen and let everyone add what you can. Thanks for any imput.

Spanish (Found on army helmets. Seen a few for sale)
French (Found on army helmets. I am fortunate enough to own one. Yes, it is original )
French (Found on Luftwaffe helmets. Saw one in Ludwig Baer's book)
Bulgarian (Saw a few on helmets)
Croatian (Found on army helmets. Saw one for sale)
Croatian (Found on SS helmets)
Belurussian (Found on Luftwaffe helmets. Saw one on a web site)
Indian (Found on an army helmet featured in a book. Claimed was one of a kind)

[LeeM]

Hello Matthew

I would love to see some photos of your French marked Heer.

Regards

Lee

[Tim R. B.]

Mathew, I have little knowledge in this area but would love to see pics of any examples you have. Tim.

[Paolo]

Hi y'all. German helmet have always been my passion and those with foreign decals are of special interest. Unfortunately, much of the information on them is sketchy. I am trying to get a whole list of nationalalities for which decals were issued for helmets. This is only decals, not stencils. I will list what I have already seen and let everyone add what you can. Thanks for any imput.

Spanish (Found on army helmets. Seen a few for sale)
French (Found on army helmets. I am fortunate enough to own one. Yes, it is original )
French (Found on Luftwaffe helmets. Saw one in Ludwig Baer's book)
Bulgarian (Saw a few on helmets)
Croatian (Found on army helmets. Saw one for sale)
Croatian (Found on SS helmets)
Belurussian (Found on Luftwaffe helmets. Saw one on a web site)
Indian (Found on an army helmet featured in a book. Claimed was one of a kind)

I believe:
French/Spanish/Bielorussian: also on SS helmets
Add:
North African volunteers (Phalange Africaine)
Italian (SS)
Belgian (both Walloon and Flemish - Army/SS)
Dutch (Army/SS)
Galician (SS)
Kossak (both Army and SS)
Estonian (SS)
Scandinavian countries

Germans had a particular inclination for foreign volunteers emblems (collar tabs/armshields/medals) and I would not be surprised to see that they also thought about national decals to be applied on helmets to be issued to foreign units. At least here in Italy decals were easily accessible also from local producers as well as medals (there are at least two types of original "Italian SS" decals having been produced locally) and I believe the same happened in other German occupied/allied countries.

[Jean-Loup]

I would also like to see pictures of that french one.

JL

[Raffaello Carola]

I believe:
French/Spanish/Bielorussian: also on SS helmets
Add:
North African volunteers (Phalange Africaine)
Italian (SS)
Belgian (both Walloon and Flemish - Army/SS)
Dutch (Army/SS)
Galician (SS)
Kossak (both Army and SS)
Estonian (SS)
Scandinavian countries

Germans had a particular inclination for foreign volunteers emblems (collar tabs/armshields/medals) and I would not be surprised to see that they also thought about national decals to be applied on helmets to be issued to foreign units. At least here in Italy decals were easily accessible also from local producers as well as medals (there are at least two types of original "Italian SS" decals having been produced locally) and I believe the same happened in other German occupied/allied countries.

Ciao Paolo,
the book " Sentire Pensare Volere" History of Italian Legion SS RITTER edition
february 2001 at page 357 is written: capacities never did not come badges
with tri-colour on the uniforms of the Italian SS that were produced but only
distributed to the italian militarized staff of the TODT. The helmets news of
the application of the tri-colour shield is not supportate with photos of the
age that evidence such use, at page346 come written that much apllied the
skulls SS on the frontal part of helmet but never mentioned the tri-color
shield. In the design of postcard propaganda of Boccasile the SS man have on
the helmet model 33 italian with an skull in front the idea is ispirated to this
real common use.
The book still while takes advantage and of the collaboration of Pio Filippani-
Ronconi W-Obersturmfuhrer of the Italian SS is one of the last witnesses
while still alive. Obersturmfuherer Ronconi is decorated with iron cross in the
battle of Anzio.
Regards
Quex

[Theodor]

I do not think Bulgarian existed. What is the source for this information?

[Paolo]

Ciao Paolo,
the book " Sentire Pensare Volere" History of Italian Legion SS RITTER edition
february 2001 at page 357 is written: capacities never did not come badges
with tri-colour on the uniforms of the Italian SS that were produced but only
distributed to the italian militarized staff of the TODT. The helmets news of
the application of the tri-colour shield is not supportate with photos of the
age that evidence such use, at page346 come written that much apllied the
skulls SS on the frontal part of helmet but never mentioned the tri-color
shield. In the design of postcard propaganda of Boccasile the SS man have on
the helmet model 33 italian with an skull in front the idea is ispirated to this
real common use.
The book still while takes advantage and of the collaboration of Pio Filippani-
Ronconi W-Obersturmfuhrer of the Italian SS is one of the last witnesses
while still alive. Obersturmfuherer Ronconi is decorated with iron cross in the
battle of Anzio.
Regards
Quex

Ciao Quex,
I made reference to Italian made SS decals (runes). German shaped tricolor shields were certainly made and issued (these are "frequently" found on M33 RSI helmets). ALso there is a M33 Italian SS helmet with a tricolor decal publiched in Littlejohns' "Foreign Legions of the Third Reich", I don't remember in which of the 4 volumes but can check.
Regards
Paolo
PS: as to Pio Filippani Ronconi there is a well known picture of him wearing a German helmet and an Italian uniform "customized" as an SS one

[Matthew S.]

Thanks for the replies guys. Posting some pictures of my French helmet has been on my to-do list for a bit, as a few other people have asked the same thing. Hopefully, when college gets out for the summer and I have access to a scanner, I will do so. I'll be sure to let y'all know.

[Paolo]

Here is the picture of Pio Filippani Ronconi

[Paolo]

French decal on German helmet

[Paolo]

1st example of italian produced SS decal (see David Littlejohn "Foreign Legions of the Third Reich" Vol 2, p. 243 where a similar helmet is published with an italian decal on the other side)

[Paolo]

2nd example - there is a very well known picture of Italian SS wearing helmet with this kind of decal

[Raffaello Carola]

Ciao Quex,
I made reference to Italian made SS decals (runes). German shaped tricolor shields were certainly made and issued (these are "frequently" found on M33 RSI helmets). ALso there is a M33 Italian SS helmet with a tricolor decal publiched in Littlejohns' "Foreign Legions of the Third Reich", I don't remember in which of the 4 volumes but can check.
Regards
Paolo
PS: as to Pio Filippani Ronconi there is a well known picture of him wearing a German helmet and an Italian uniform "customized" as an SS one

Ciao Paolo,
the first question is exist an italian tri-color shield on helmet of italian SS?
Pio Filippani Ronconi for many years are professor of University "ORIENTALE"
in my city Naples and I have for more times some question and discussion
about the Italian SS Legion.
In the war he was adjutant of Waffen Generalmajor Mannelli the only italian
officer SS with this grade, never mentioned in the memories the tri-color
shield used only from other formation of RSI, but never from the italian SS.
In the book of Nava and Corbatti page 345 is written: " is suspect of fake the
helmet with the rune and tri-color shield".
The italian legion use helmet model 33 and in real minimal part german helmet,
in many photos the decal rune are hand painted in large size.
The use of uniform customized is tipically from the RSI period.
regards
Quex

[Paolo]

Ciao Paolo,
the first question is exist an italian tri-color shield on helmet of italian SS?
Pio Filippani Ronconi for many years are professor of University "ORIENTALE"
in my city Naples and I have for more times some question and discussion
about the Italian SS Legion.
In the war he was adjutant of Waffen Generalmajor Mannelli the only italian
officer SS with this grade, never mentioned in the memories the tri-color
shield used only from other formation of RSI, but never from the italian SS.
In the book of Nava and Corbatti page 345 is written: " is suspect of fake the
helmet with the rune and tri-color shield".
The italian legion use helmet model 33 and in real minimal part german helmet,
in many photos the decal rune are hand painted in large size.
The use of uniform customized is tipically from the RSI period.
regards
Quex

Ciao Quex,
You are lucky, I would have loved to meet Mr. Ronconi personally. He never regretted his joining the SS and his past. As to the book you mentioned, which is a great book in my opinion, at page 345 it reads: "As to helmets with runes and tricolor shield the provenance is doubtful since it seems that many helmets of this kind were distributed to the Mussolini bersaglieri battalion that was originally , but not properly, defined as I. Freiwillingen Battallion der Waffen SS. My interpretation, according to this book, is that such original helmets with runes and Italian tricolor existed