German helmet

Rare early Waffen-SS camouflage smock in the Palm camouflage pattern. A nice early M40 pattern example without non-elastic collar. The smock is made from beautiful and vibrant early palm camouflage fabric. The smock retains its original rayon drawstring. There is one small repair to the back, otherwise no damages to the material. The elastic in the sleeve and waist looks to have been neatly replaced at some point. Otherwise the smock has not been modified. The smock retains its vertical slits without ripped ends. A very nice and early smock that would be hard to upgrade!

Superb and surely stunning original Waffen-SS helmet with the original Waffen-SS oakleaf cover it was found 4 years ago in Mons, Belgium. The helmet and its cover both show the same wear, patina and the cover surely is a exact fit. The cover retains the shape without the helmet and the helmet or its cover have not been cleaned after the find. The cover left the imprint of the seams and wrinkles on the helmet shell. It is unmistakable that this cover spent the last 75 years on top of this helmet. The cover is a textbook oakleaf example with anodized aluminum hooks finished with single needle sewing machine. The helmet is a textbook ckl64 marked example indicating production by Eisenhuttenwerke Thale. The helmet retains its original ET Waffen-SS decal up to 70%. One can find a SS helmet and or a cover; but finding a original set that has always been together is near impossible. A real conversation piece that would be a nice base for further research!

Spectacular M38 paratrooper helmet in excellent condition. The helmet is a mid war CKL68 shell with factory installed liner and chinstraps. The helmet retains up to 95% of its wartime applied sawdust camouflage paint. The helmet is a typical camouflaged example as worn by members of the 3. Fallschirmjäger Division. Just like the famous Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 they have a impressive list of battles fighting at Normandy, Saint Lo, Brest, Falaise, Arnhem, Hürtgenwald, the battle of the Bulge and many more places. The helmet is a typical example as used by this unit and was originally found in Paris. The chinstrap has a neatly sewn repair but is otherwise untouched and in excellent condition. This is a perfect opportunity to acquire a excellent Fallschirmjäger camouflage helmet that does not happen everyday!

Stunning and textbook M38 paratrooper or Fallschirmjäger helmet in the tell-tale sawdust two-tone camouflage pattern as used with the 6. Falschirmjäger Regiment. The helmet is marked ET71 indicating production by Eisenhuttenwerke Thale with its factory placed size 60 liner with period attached chinstraps and its original bolts. The helmet was factory finished in feldgrau with a single decal which can still be seen underneath the paint. The helmet was camouflaged between April and June 1944 together with most of the regiments helmet which were all camouflaged in one batch. The helmet retains 90% of its wartime applied factory paint. The helmets liner is named to the partly readable Hau****** Flint and is marked Russland, Normandie and Holland indicating the original wearer of the helmet was a veteran of these campaigns. The 6. Fallschirmjäger Regiment was one of the most well known German paratrooper units during the war being stationed as a defensive force in Normandy prior to the invasion, fighting the 101st Airborne division, to retreat through Carentan, fighting around Geel, along Hells Highway during Market Garden, Woensdrecht and Hoogerheide and the Parachute drop during the Ardennes offensive. The helmet was originally found in the Netherlands and is a textbook and excellent example of a FJR6 camouflage helmet that would be very hard to upgrade and I wouldn’t mind to keep for my personal collection!

Rare MP44 pouch set marked JWA 44 and mkb 42 indicating production by Moritz Stecher, Lederwerk, Freiburg. The pouches are both in very good, unused condition and show a typical mix of fabric, sewing techniques and thread used in the construction. These pouches are slightly different which is completely normal for these late war pouches mostly made from scrap material. The pouches retain all 6 closing straps with typical woven holes and metal lux points. The straps are handsewn to the front of the closing flaps which is typical for the pouches made by Moritz Stecher. The closing flaps are lined in leather with the sides in yellow Pressstoff. Very hard to find a pair of pouches, left and right, by the same manufacturer, year and condition. This pair comes from my personal collection and is only for sale because I’m chasing another variant pair. Choice pouches!

A stunning original Waffen-SS plane tree 1/2 overprint smock in mint/unissued condition. The smock is a typical M42 type 1 smock with straight pockets. The pockets are lined with field grey Drillich material with blurred edge pocket flaps. The garment is typically sewn on the sides with a double needle seam and the rest finished with a single needle machine. The rayon drawstring is woven through handsewn holes. All of the foliage loops are fully intact. The sleeves are finished with hand screened 5/6 plane tree. The elastic on the sleeves and waist is still in functional condition and has never been removed or replaced. The smock does not have any damages or holes. The camouflage print is strong and full of contrast and the colours very vibrant. The smock would be a prime piece in any camouflage collection and would be very hard to upgrade.

Rare step-in Fallschirmjäger smock in Splittertarn-B camouflage marked Rudolph Hubert & Cie 1941. The smock is in good, worn condition with repairs to the back. This is a rare, first pattern example with both of its original trouser legs retaining, slightly period shortened. This is a typical modification of the period! The smock retains all of its original Rapid zippers in functional condition. The breast eagle is a early embroided example on a Grünmeliert base which is original to the garment but reapplied. A beautiful example that would be very hard to upgrade!

Rare original Waffen-SS issue Panzer wrapper in good used condition. The jacket is a textbook example in the full length, not shortened. The garment has a few small repairs; otherwise it is in good used condition and unwashed condition. Tobacco remnants are still inside the large pocket. The garment is a nice medium size. The loops for the shoulderstraps and buttons are absent but could be easily restored. This is a excellent and textbook service worn garment that would be a prime piece in any SS collection.

Rare original Waffen-SS officers field blouse in excellent condition. The garment retains most of the nap in the wool and has a nice set of rare original insignia for a Hauptsturmführer der Feldgendarmerie. The jacket retains its collar tabs and sleeve eagle which are original th the garment, the shoulderstraps and cufftitle have been restored. The runic collar tab is a nice and uncommon late war flatwire example. The cufftitle is a rare SS-Feldgendarmerie example wich was worn between 1942 and november 1944. A very nice original Waffen-SS officers field blouse in perfect condition!

Simply the best chickenwire helmet I’ve had to offer! A truly spectacular example of a Heer single decal M40 helmet marked ET64 with a wartime added half basket chickenwire cover overpainted in three-tone Normandy camouflage. The chickenwire is the typical wartime used type as used to camouflage bunkers and positions. The chickenwire was period applied and has never been removed from the helmet. The chickenwire was over sprayed and retains tan, green and red paint vividly. Underneath the chickenwire retains 75 years of dust and patina; the helmet is a untouched and uncleaned example. The camouflage paint is vibrant and in good condition with loads of patina all over. Closeups of the paint show lots of cracks and patina. The helmet retains its factory fitted liner and period attached chinstrap which have always been with the helmet. The helmet is named Gefr. Striewe in the skirt of the helmet. This is simply the best helmet I’ve found in the last 10 years and would be a prime piece in any helmet collection – surely a one looker original and véry hard to upgrade.

Untouched Waffen-SS field blouse with period sewn insignia. Excellent privately tailored Waffen-SS field blouse for a SS-Sturmscharführer in a (Sturm)Artillerie unit. The garment is in clearly field worn condition with 4 period sewn award loops. These unrestored SS field blouses are one of the rarest things to find and for sure a centerpiece in any SS collection!

Rare textbook second pattern Waffen-SS plane tree overprint camouflage pattern cover in combat used condition. The cover is constructed from plane tree hand screened and overprint material utilizing single needle sewing machines. The cover retains all of its originally sewn loops and vibrant colours in the camouflage pattern that really pops in hand. The cover is photographed on a size 64 shell but with some patience also fits a size 66 M40. The size 2 is marked on the auttumn size. The cover is in very good used condition and unlike many “mint” oak covers flooding the market today – this is a actually worn piece with loads of patina that is very hard to find.

Exceptional woodwork find camouflaged M38 paratrooper helmet from Musselkanaal, the Netherlands. This helmet and other items where worn by a Fallschirmjäger in the Netherlands. The items are all found together in a house in Musselkanaal. The story comes directly from the previous owner who owned the group for over 70 years is that a young Czech paratrooper in 1945 seeked refuge from the war with civilians after fierce battles. The civilians in Musselkanaal took him in and dressed him in a blue coverall with wooden shoes to hide him from the Germans and the NSB neighbour. They burnt his uniform but kept the helmet, mapcase, pocket book, holster and fighting knife. Because of the language barrier they called him “Loekie”. Loekie lived with the family for over a year in hiding and left just after the war. Loekie was most probably member of the 6th or 8th Fallschirmdivision. The helmet and group are exactly how they where found on the attic when the house was passed down from father to son.

The helmet is marked CKL68 indicating production by Eisenhüttenwerke, Thale. The helmet retains its original liner and personalized chinstrap. The helmet is in good worn and untouched(!) condition with a nice and vibrant handpainted camouflage pattern. All 4 bolts are original to the helmet and are covered in paint. The aluminum bolts are The helmet retains its original named size 57 liner and its personalized chinstrap. The chinstrap was modified during the war. One of the rear bolts is a wartime replacement.

The mapcase is a standard Luftwaffe pattern brown mapcase with aluminum buckles. The boot knife or Luftwaffe Stiefelmesser is nicely marked “S”. The (empty) holster is a privately purchased holster for a small calibre pocket pistol. The pocketbook comes with a few notes that I’m unable to decypher but comes with a number of feldpost numbers. The group comes with a small correspondence with the finder of the group, who can also vet the story.

The helmet and grouping is a spectacular example of a named group with provenance. It is especially rare to find a original camouflaged M38 helmet in good used condition, let alone as a group. This group would be impossible to upgrade – if you want a camouflaged helmet that was worn during the battles in the Netherlands this is it!

Extremely scarce and textbook M42 camouflage cap in excellent condition. The cap is a typical early example with sewn vents made in the plane tree overprint camouflage pattern. The cap is approximately a size 57. The cap is of textbook construction with all seams just as they should be with the centre seam flipping halfway. A perfect and textbook piece without repairs or alterations that would be very hard to upgrade.

Scarce textbook second pattern Waffen-SS plane tree overprint camouflage pattern cover in combat used condition. The cover is constructed from plane tree overprint material utilizing single and double needle sewing machines. The cover retains all of its originally sewn loops and vibrant colours in the camouflage pattern that really pops in hand. The cover is photographed on a size 64 shell making it good moderate size. The cover is in very good used condition and unlike many “mint” oak covers flooding the market today – this is a actually worn piece with loads of patina that is very hard to find.