Here is a great helmet that yes is post war painted but still tells quite a unique story about Norwegian history both during and after the war. From 1940 onwards some 250,000 German troops were stationed in Norway to prevent another Allied invasion and to maintain Germany's need for iron ore and steel production. War is not fair. Imagine the experience of young German solider on the front lines in Russia for years and years compared to a German soldier serving out his time in quiet Norway hiking, fishing and fraternizing with local girls. Quiet a different experience.
After the war the Germans all just basically returned back home leaving all of their equipment, weapons and helmets behind. In the 1950's a Norwegian defense contractor repainted and re-decaled these stock piles of German helmets for use in their factories. At the end of the day it's hard to beat a German helmet especially when it's abandoned and so basically free.
The size 59 liner is German made and original but dyed red for sanitary reasons after the war. It's just nice to have it in there all German instead of some generic post war liner as we see with M55 Finnish helmets.
$600
Please call, text or email me if interested.
Tel/Text: 1-438-502-5052
Email Us: helmetsofwar@gmail.com
GERMAN HELMET FACTORY PRODUCTION CODES
(Every original German helmet produced from 1935 to 45 had two factory stampings punched into the side and rear or both in the rear. The alpha numeric number refers to the factory location and the inside metric circumference in centimeters. The rear lot number refers to the production run and was used as a quality control measure. The font styles used at each factory were slightly different but highly consistent throughout the war and so fakes or reproductions will either not have these numbers at all or they will use the wrong font style or letter spacing and so are easily identified as post war made.)
(FS or EF)-Emaillierwerke AG, Fulda, Germany
(ET or ckl)-Eisenhuttenwerke, Thale, Germany
(Q)-Quist, Esslingen, Germany
(NS)-Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke, Schwerte, Germany
(SE or hkp)-Sachsische Emaillier u. Stanzwerke, Lauter, Germany
