German helmet

Illegal resistance newspaper Het Parool 1 February 1945

Illegal resistance newspaper Vrij Nederland 10 September 1943

Extremely rare M45 camouflage jacket in the experimental late war Leibermuster camouflage pattern. Textbook, original example with all details you’d like to see on one of these jackets. The flat, non reinforced collar without hooks, the straight horizontal front pockets with pleats on the bottom seam going both ways, aluminum smooth buttons on the front and paper on the sleeves, square reinforcements at the armpits, drawstring and of course comes without back seam. The jacket is sewn from a loosely woven HBT or Drillich material sewn with single and double needle sewing machines. The jacket is in very good, lightly worn condition and would be a iconic yet extremely scarce piece in any collection. These jackets are rarely offered on the open market and it is a good opportunity to acquire a top rare piece!

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!

Rare Waffen-SS M42 Blurred Edge camouflage smock in hbt or Drillich material. The smock is in very good, combat worn condition with loads of character. The smock retains its factory sewn foliage loops and collar in oak leaf pattern. The smock is a rare variant in good worn condition, a very attractive piece!

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.

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.

Stunning unissued and untouched blurred edge or Rauchtarnmuster pattern camouflage smock or Tarnjacke. The smock is a textbook 1940 pattern example with drawstring and breast pocket slits. The fabric is in near mint condition with a beautiful vibrant and colorful pattern which is quite appealing to the eye. The garment hasn’t been shortened or modified and retains its original textbook olive green rayon drawstring. The smock doesn’t show any use of wear but it shows some aging on a dust/mud stain to the front. This could easily be cleaned but best left like this. The elastic on the sleeves is slightly functional and has never been removed or replaced. The elastic is tunneled in blurred edge and has never been opened. The smock has two small holes but there are no repairs. This untouched combat smock would be a prime piece in any camouflage collection and would be very hard to upgrade.

A extremely scarce set of two magazine pouches for the MKB 42 assault rifle.  Probably one of the rarest magazine pouches produced during the second world war. These magazine pouches for the MKb 42 are as rare as the weapons itself. Interestingly these seem a in between model between the first and third type. The first type of pouches has the same direction of the magazine compartments pointing inwards. In the later models these where the magazines curved out of the way of the body. Most probably due to the magazines sticking into ones abdomen whilst going prone. Nicely marked Mkb 42 – jwa 4 indicating production by Moritz Stecher, Lederwerk, Freiburg. A unique set that I’ll most definitely never find another set of. A no-brainer if you own a extremely rare MKB 42 !

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!

Superb and unissued late war Fallschirmjäger smock in stone mint condition. The smock is a textbook late war example as used and issued for the Ardennes offensive. The smock is a typical late war example executed in thin material. This Fallschirmjäger smock was never issued. The breasteagle is period factory sewn to the smock, not through the breast pocket. The smock is a large size easily fitting most if not all mannequins. This piece really is superb and would be very hard to upgrade.

Rare original Waffen-SS camouflage smock in Oak leaf or Eichenlaubmuster in good used condition marked 329 in the left spring pocket flap. The smock is probably the last model of camouflage smock to be developed for the Waffen-SS. These smocks where made from a narrower bolt of material as used on the ‘4-Panel’ Zeltbahns constructed with separately sewn corners. The material used is very thin, if you hold it against the light you can look through it which reflects the late war ‘quality’ the Waffen-SS was dressed with. These smocks where most probably made between 1944 and 1945. The condition of the smock is with wear; there are a few small damages and some of the stitching is damaged. The smock retains the full original tunneled elastic but is no longer functional. I have seen a couple of mint examples of these smocks; but this is the first actually worn example I’ve seen. If you’re after a rare Waffen-SS combat worn Eichenlaubmuster camouflage smock; this is it!

Excellent uniform grouping to Private Robert L. Taylor, T5. The grouping consists of his M1942 jump suit, his ike jacket, a set of tan leather gloves, the Saga of the 82nd Airborne division, trouser belt and a beanie cap. The items have been obtained directly from Taylor and come with a signed letter of provenance stating the source. Robert L. Taylor was a close friend to Bachenheimer who was a well known individual in the 82nd airborne division and they did many recon missions together. The group would be hard to upgrade and a perfect base for further research. I enclose a copy of his honorable discharge papers with more informations. He fought in Sicily, Normandy, Naples-Foggia, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, Central Europe and Ardennes – I am sure there is more to find on him!