DAK Desert Camo Helmet Found In Malta

[Bugme]

[Bugme]

Same guys, different angle and without their goggles.

[Tony v]

Thank you for the great information and the pictures. Nice to learn something new every day!

 

Tony

[DocCollector1441]

I would like to think this Luft M35 ended up in the hands of some RAF guy who then took it back to Malta. At least that is the story I would conjure in my head for my personal enjoyment if I had that beautiful helmet in my collection.

[PaulR]

Thank you for sharing this gorgeous helmet. Absolutely perfect.

[Bugme]

Thanks gentlemen, I have enjoyed digging into the DAK a bit since this is the first "legit" DAK helmet I've had. There was another one some 20 years ago but, that one was a painful learning experience and led to my signature line.

 

And DocCollector1441, I have had those types of stories swirling around in my head also but, the story can only go as far back as Frank's collection room since he does not remember much about buying it other than he got it at an estate sale.

[uscapturephotos]

I really enjoyed this thread. I appreciated you sharing where your signature line comes from too Bugme. We've all been there. I keep my bad pieces in a drawer as reminders...albeit painful ones.

I picked up my first true camo DAK last spring. The GI wrote his name and where the helmet came from inside on the liner.

Take care and thanks again for sharing your super find with us.

Paul

[Kadet]

Neat helmet. I suspect that it is actually an M35 reissue though, vice a straight early DD. I say that given the later war alloy, single band liner assembly. It also looks like the national shield may have been overpainted, which would also be indicative of a reissue. Hard to tell from the pics. Thanks for posting it!

[Bugme]

I really enjoyed this thread. I appreciated you sharing where your signature line comes from too Bugme. We've all been there. I keep my bad pieces in a drawer as reminders...albeit painful ones.

I picked up my first true camo DAK last spring. The GI wrote his name and where the helmet came from inside on the liner.

Take care and thanks again for sharing your super find with us.

Paul

Thanks! Learning isn't always fun and is often painful but, the knowledge you gain keeps you from making the mistakes again... hopefully.

[ponyradish]

Beauty, I have been to Malta in the Navy, never found any helmets.Pony.

[Bugme]

Beauty, I have been to Malta in the Navy, never found any helmets.Pony.

Quite a bit of British stuff can be found in Malta since they had bases there for over 175 years(1802-1979). Also, a small amount of U.S. stuff can be found since the U.S. actually based some USN there as well as Army troops later in preparation for Sicily and Italy. Add to that, Malta is a liberty and deep water repair port for many other Navy's of the world and militaria can be found there. I was able to find 6 helmets while there(1 Turtle, 2 plain Broadies, 1 DAK Stahlhelm, 1 plain M-1 & 1 Maltese rubble camo'd Broadie. The DAK and the Camo are in my collection now. Sadly, finding it is the hard part based on the lack of interest by most Maltese concerning militaria collecting. In over 8 months of living there I had dig, ask and beg to find these items.