SS pith helmets

[Edelweiss]

Thanks for your pics, Dave, a great addition to this thread.

On the contrary of Heer shields for which they were numerous (JFS, KW, GB, Assmann, etc...), it seems that the makers of SS shields were scarce : only JFS at the moment, for the known original examples.

[oldflagswanted]

...odd large SS lightning bolt rune pith helmet

...it seems that the makers of SS shields were scarce : only JFS at the moment, for the known original examples.

Just last night (8 May 2005) while looking at some period pre-WW2 footage for interesting flag views, I saw the below shown really odd large SS lightning bolt rune pith helmet. <br><center><img src=http://home.att.net/~b.k.weed/nzflagwave.gif></center><center><a href=http://members.tripod.com/~oldflagswanted/usa.html>OldFlagsWanted</a></center><br><hr><center>
<img src=http://home.att.net/~gullcottage/sspith.jpg></center>

[Edelweiss]

We also had a lot of period films (many in color) for May 8th here, but unfortunately not this one...

[Raffaello Carola]

Just last night (8 May 2005) while looking at some period pre-WW2 footage for interesting flag views, I saw the below shown really odd large SS lightning bolt rune pith helmet.


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In this photo Hauptsturmführer SS dr. Ernst Schäfer, of the Ahnenerbe during the shipment in Tibet 1938.

[CurtD]

Just last night (8 May 2005) while looking at some period pre-WW2 footage for interesting flag views, I saw the below shown really odd large SS lightning bolt rune pith helmet.

Did you see posts #46 & #47?

[oldflagswanted]

...about BIG SS PITH

Did you see posts #46 & #47?

CurtD:
Guess I missed seeing those other BIG SS PITH postings - same film different channel, and likely 3 hours or more ahead of my feed! Oh well, guess I'll go back to flag related threads where I belong? I used to collect hats long ago, but traded most of them in for flags. Still this has been a most interesting thread as I always wondered about SS pith helmets.<br><center><img src=http://home.att.net/~b.k.weed/nzflagwave.gif></center><center>OldFlagsWanted</center>

[iskyarzsla]

DAK helmet

Hello
Someone give me a DAK Helmet ( a "TROPHELM" ) which is a model 1941.
The man who give it to me has take it at the end of the war in a german building in south of France near the city of Nice... he said me that maybe it was an helmet used in Corsica and he add that at this time he has thrown the SS insignas.

But now he is an old man... and I'm not really sure when he said "ss insignas" if he's really talking about "ss" or "german insignas" in general.

So I would like to know more about the helmet... maybe it's a really "SS TROPH ELM", maybe not, I'm not sure.

Inside I find 2 stamps :
"B.K.41"
and
"57.N.41"

And a little "57", alone which should probably be the size.

What does means this stamps please ????

If you have informations about it can you please contact me by email :
maitrecoq@wanadoo.fr


Thanks a lot.

P.S : excuse my english... maybe some little mistakes... I'm french

[Edelweiss]

An old thread exhumed...

Yes, I wouldn't bet much on the fact that the insignas were true SS ones : for many older persons (and even for many younger too, that are not aware of those things), an insigna wearing a swastika is an SS insigna, quite simply : just make the test and you'll see !

It's also true that still recently, pith helmets could be found in Corsica by the number (see below) ; as far as I know, most of them came from Ajaccio. But the "corsican" piths are mostly (if not all) italian reissues - which is quite understandable - and the vast majority of them too are KM.

To come back to your "problem", the point is that only an italian reissue pith will tell you to what branch of the german army it was (re)issued ; because, as I was saying higher in this thread, each and every of them is stamped accordingly.

Now, I guess that yours is a true german pith (the french-made ones wears the maker's mark in clear most often), so I'm sorry to say that there's almost no way to know for sure what kind of insigna it once wore. The best IMO would be to let the old man describe them as precisely as his memory will allows him to (and eventually ask him if he remembers an eagle or not, three colors at an angle or a big "croix gamm******233;e", etc...).

And BTW, welcome on the forum Monsieur Coq ! (sorry, but your pseudo is far over my abilities in spelling)

[Edelweiss]

Here are mine : you could maybe try to describe yours, or better, take a look at the pic below and and tell us which one looks like yours (I still miss a french-made one though). The WH 2nd model (foreground at right) could also be found in southern France quite easilly in the 80s : depots were discovered here and there at that time (one was in Marseille), waiting to be shipped to the other side of the lake.

The two in the background are italian reissues, and both wear a stamp saying that the lid is the property of the WSS or KM. You already saw the SS pith by the detail in this thread ; the KM one, as many other KM pieces of uniform and equipment, wears an additional "eagle-M" stamp inside. No exception either, this one was found in Ajaccio.

[SSPolizei]

Chris,


Simply awesome pith collection, love the array of all the services.
Excellent.



Cheers
Dale

[wehrpasswilly]

ss pith helmet insignia

Hi lads, just a small query here. I have a pair of SS pith helmet decals maker marked jfs etc BUT mine have small screw posts and not the prongs that have been posted on this thread. I have no doubt of their authenticity as they are currently suffering with Zinc pest (which I have vasalined) and would like to know if anyone knows of this different type of fixture? Regards Paul

[John Leonard]

How about those screw-posts?

Hi Paul,

just my question too! I have just been to look at a SS Pith tonight and the sheilds are held on with two srew posts with nuts. I was wondering if this is ok? Cheers John the Newbie

[merdock]

Hi,
Here's one iv'e had a long time ,the shields are the only ones that it appears to have ,are tight to the shell can't see if there marked and have round pins.not sure if good or not.
Merdock

[merdock]

2

[merdock]

pins