Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

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mkoloc
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Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by mkoloc » Thu May 24, 2018 10:05 am

Closest that I can come up with is Bulgarian, but it lacks the ridge and Bulgarian helmets do not have thus type of vent hole ...the vent hole is rolled over and this helmet has horns.

My German neighbor (was in WWII Berlin as a child) stated that he thought it was a WWI helmet, an interim expermental helmet prod.uced before the M16.

Any assistance appreciated.

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AZ Jeff
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Re: Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by AZ Jeff » Thu May 24, 2018 12:13 pm

Czech, 1930s. Commonly exported (Spanish Civil War for example) and later used by the Germans in non-combat applications. There are also versions with perforated vents (like the Luftschutz helmets) instead of the "horns".


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mkoloc
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Re: Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by mkoloc » Fri May 25, 2018 10:37 pm

Jeff, appreciate the input, but looking at Czech helmets its not even close. Shape and suspension system just dont match up for any of the 3 series produced by Czechs.

Swedish WWII helmet has a very close match regards shape, but they did not produce helmets with the "Horns" or the same suspension system.
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mkoloc
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Re: Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by mkoloc » Sat May 26, 2018 6:00 pm

Jeff, looked at all 3 czech helmets and they do not fit the helmet profile or the supension system. Actually closer to the Swedish WWII helmet in shape but again suspension systems and the lack of horns dont match that helmet either.
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Re: Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by AZ Jeff » Tue May 29, 2018 10:25 am

100% Czech. You'll have to trust me on this one Mark. Last one I sold (2017) had gorgeous Nationalist (Franco) unit insignia painted on it. You'll also find them with the Spanish eagle bracket on the front, not unlike the German M35 and later Spanish Modelo "Z" helmets.

Paolo Marzetti in his Helmets of the World (Elmetti di tutto il mondo, 1984) called it the Czech M1930. they typically have a low speed version of the Adrian (French) type liner, cheesy rivets and low grade chinstraps. I think the majority ended up in low budget armories.

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Re: Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by mkoloc » Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:57 pm

Jeff, you are correct, it turned out to be a Spanish M30 helmet used by both sides during the Civil War and yes it was made by the Czechs. Thank you for your help. When I did a search for Czech WWII helmets online, it did not come up ..thus my Doubting Thomas position 🤔
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Re: Help...Can Someone Identify This Helmet?

Post by Radtech » Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:33 pm

Its a Czech M30 but were rejected by the Czech army and they all went to foreign countries like Spain.


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