Hey all, I got a few questions regarding M40/55 helmets. First Is there any particular German helmet manufacturer that sold helmets to the Finns along with Machinery? And second, did the Finnish or West Germans sanitize the surplus helmets?

-Cote_2006

 

On 11/29/2020 at 9:46 AM, Cote_2006 said:

Hey all, I got a few questions regarding M40/55 helmets. First Is there any particular German helmet manufacturer that sold helmets to the Finns along with Machinery? And second, did the Finnish or West Germans sanitize the surplus helmets?

-Cote_2006

 

Finnish 1940 reissue 

seems to be a new liner, rivets, chin straps and paint job, can’t see any sanitising as such.

 

 

 

rear skirt

 Maker Fulda size 66 (I think)

 

cheers Tony

I have only had one of the Finnish/German helmets and it was a WW2 German M-35. The liner was the WW2 German liner that had a reddish looking dye job. The pins that hold the leather to the band had been replaced with wire woven in and out all the way around. The chin strap was WW2 German issue. Mine had the original paint removed to bare metal with the repaint and side markings added. As I understand it, post war after the Germans were driven out of the area by the Russians  tons of helmets were to be found and the Fins gathered them up and reissued them. Yours looks like a repainted M-40 that was just painted over and a new liner added. The two skirt stamps are German. EF66 would be maker and 48 size if I am not mistaken.

This is from the IMA web site...............Item Description

Original Item: In another military antiques coup, IMA acquired the last of all the known WWII German helmet stocks from the government of Finland. A wonderful article was written about this find in the Magazine Military Trader which you can read at this link. These helmets are 100% genuine German manufactured WWII type M40 steel combat helmets that were produced by German WWII helmet manufacturer Hans Römer Fabrik from Neu-Ulm (Donau-Freiberg).

Supplied throughout WWII and then under special contract for the Finnish Army in 1955, hence, they have become known as the M40/55 helmet. However, these helmets were made in the same factory, on the same machines and by some of the very same people that produced them for Germany in WWII. They are nearly identical to WWII issue M40 helmets (and are often sold as such) with the classic rolled edge, correct steel thickness, and pressed ventilation holes. Furthermore, we have very good reason to believe that some of these shells are sanitized German WWII M35 and M40 helmets; meaning some are genuine WWII shells that had all stampings rubbed out and original paint removed to avoid the allied ban on West Germany selling war materiel after WW2.

I forgot to mention it had the German split pins and the name of a German soldier inked on the liner.