September 26, 20187 yr #1 Found this one in Malta while working missions there. A guy we know has a home in Rabat and he invited me over to see his "collection" room. He is a pack rat and calling it a collection room is being kind since it looks more like an unorganized antique mall. Anyhow, my eye for all things militaria fell on the M35, DAK Double Decal, Luftwaffe, Desert Camo'd, helmet. I asked about it, he said he'd had it for over 30 years. He didn't know what it was except a WW2 German helmet. Long story short, we worked a deal, he was thrilled to sell it and I was thrilled to buy it. It is as I found it.
September 30, 20187 yr #4 Love it. An untouched beauty. One of those "if it could only talk" pieces. Love the early "snake leg" as well.
October 1, 20187 yr Author #5 Thanks Eric! I kinda stepped away from TR and Imperial helmets several years ago, sold most of them and focused on U.S. helmets. However, this one pretty much has a story to tell even if unattributed. I looked at this and saw the story.
October 21, 20187 yr #8 That's a beauty. The DAK helmets have always interested me due to the different tone to the pigment in the paint them other parts of the Med. Nice find, Gregg
October 22, 20187 yr Author #9 Thanks guys! And Gregg, I am also interested in the paints used like the "pink" tan used on this one. I am not an expert on the North African colors but, I was told the pink tone was actually captured British paint. Interesting thought.
October 24, 20187 yr #10 Thats the debate. However....... British equipment has yet to be found painted in it. Is the eagle dug out or was it masked before painting ? owen
October 25, 20187 yr Author #12 Thats the debate. However....... British equipment has yet to be found painted in it. Is the eagle dug out or was it masked before painting ? owen Thanks Owen, I have heard both sides, pro and con, about Brit Paint as well. I am not educated enough on this to say either yay or nay. As for the Luft eagle, it appears that the paint was scraped off shortly after it was painted, maybe while the paint was still somewhat soft. At least that is how it appears to me after spending some time looking it over with a loupe. How ever it was done, the decal remained pretty much undamaged.
October 25, 20187 yr Author #14 Very nice helmet, may I ask what is a "snake leg" as Eric called it ? Tony The first pattern eagle is called "snake leg" because the left leg has a slight curl like a snake instead of being straight.
October 25, 20187 yr #15 That is a beauty DD Luft DAK! It really does have that "been there, done that" look to it. If only some of these pieces could talk the stories they could tell.
October 29, 20187 yr Author #16 That is a beauty DD Luft DAK! It really does have that "been there, done that" look to it. If only some of these pieces could talk the stories they could tell. The fact that it ended up in Malta, less than 100 miles from where fighting occurred in North Africa does get me wondering about the story behind it but, it appears the story is lost in time.
November 5, 20187 yr #19 The first pattern eagle is called "snake leg" because the left leg has a slight curl like a snake instead of being straight. Nice early M35....As I understand it the snake legs are typically early in the eagle decals.Would fit in with an early double decal.I have a double decal luft with the same eagle. Great find!!...a good one blink camo is always hard to leave behind.
November 5, 20187 yr Author #20 what's the lot # on it?I have no clue. It has been shipped back to my home in the U.S. but, I'm still 5000 miles away in Malta.
November 5, 20187 yr Author #21 Nice early M35....As I understand it the snake legs are typically early in the eagle decals.Would fit in with an early double decal.I have a double decal luft with the same eagle. Great find!!...a good one blink camo is always hard to leave behind. Thanks Ron, the one looker aspect is what made me pull the trigger. To leave it here would have haunted me.
November 5, 20187 yr Author #22 Super helmet! Super find! Congrats! Bob Thanks Bob, you know what they say: even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. This was my nut.
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