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WorldWar2.ro Forum -> Collector's Corner -> Small arms, Daggers & Uniforms

Romanian or Dutch helmet?, Romanian or Dutch helmet?

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Asjemenou	Posted: May 24, 2006 03:10 pm
Soldat Group: Members Posts: 4 Member No.: 925 Joined: May 24, 2006	Hello, I am Leen from the Netherlands. I am interested in military history like most of the people at this forum. Recently there was an interesting discussion at a Dutch military history forum about Dutch post war helmets. The so called post war period in Holland is until May 1940, the period before the invasion of Nazi Germany. Until May 1940 the Dutch army used a few models of helmets. The models of these helmets are shown at this website; http://www.leger1939-1940.nl/Uniform/Infanterist/helm.htm . Unfortunately the website is in Dutch. Typical for the Dutch post war helmet (specially the M34) was the copper helmet plate in front of the helmet with the Dutch National Arms (lion). The M27 and the M34 helmet were also in use by the Romanian armed forces during World War II. Before the war, these helmets were also produced in Holland for the Romanian army. As far as I know there was also a delivery of these helmets to Romania. After the capitulation of Holland in May 1940, all the Dutch army equipment was captured by the Germans. A lot of captured Dutch army helmets should be sent to Romania by the Germans. My question is; was the Romanian WWII army helmet exactly the same as the (captured) Dutch helmet? Did it have the same liner or was it replaced by a Romanian variant (see the above Dutch website)? What about the Dutch cupper helmet plate on the captured helmets send by the Germans, were they removed? The discussion in Holland about the helmet was started by a Polish militaria collector. He showed us a picture of a dug up Dutch helmet, which was found in western Poland. See picture. The dug up helmet still has the Dutch cupper plate. What is known is that the helmet is found in an area were both Dutch and Romanian war volunteers (in German army) were active at the end of the war. Dutch war volunteers, who served in the SS, normally wore the standard German WWII helmet. Has anyone an explanation for this?

mihnea

Posted: May 24, 2006 03:55 pm

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Here is some very good info posted in this topic: http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=2142&st=0 by Kepi.

QUOTE (Kepi @ Sep 29 2005, 10:54 AM)

All Romanian M.39 Dutch style helmets initially had in front King Carol’s II cipher. After his abdication, in September 1940, that badge was grid away as it could be seen in many photos of Romanian soldiers in WW2.

In September 1938 a contract for 500.000 helmets was signed with the Dutch company Verblifa. The model selected by Romanian military authorities was the M. 1934 Dutch pattern, a surprising decision motivated maybe by the total difference from the neighboring armies head gears. It gave a unique appearance to the Romanian soldier, especially in profile, the Dutch liner imposing to be carried front inclined. Between the liner and the shell there was a lining in thin orange felt. A new order for 300.000 helmets was released in May 1939.

Until the beginning of 1942, 628,000 helmets were delivered by Verblifa.
In April 1940, Netherlands was invaded by Germany, so the Dutch company was forced to work for the Wehrmacht.

During the 1941 and 1942 campaigns the front line units were equipped with M.1939 helmets but because of heavy looses, especially after Stalingrad defeat, an obvious shortage of helmets occurred. Germany asked Verblifa to produce helmets for the Romanian army, with availabe Dutch shells but equipped with German M.1935 liners. The lining (between liner and shell) was in thick gray felt. These helmets are the most frequent found in collections and antique shops because they were later delivered and carried at the end of the war.

From the beginning of 1950’s, Dutch helmets were progressively replaced by the Soviet M.1940 type. At the end of 1960’s old Dutch pattern helmets, kept in the army stores, saw service again in an attempt to avoid any resemblance with the reproved Soviet military. It was already obsolete, especially by its fastener straps. After a few tests with different types of liner and straps, the M.39 pattern was definitively abandoned for a new model, M.1973, an ugly and most inefficient head gear.

The M.39 Dutch helmets with Carol II cipher are very difficult to find and, therefore, very expensive. They belonged especially to officers who, after Carol’s abdication, were forced to resign, so they didn’t carried their helmets in campaign. Their liners are of the Dutch pattern but made in black or natural good quality leather.

M.39 helmet

M.39 modified helmet

M.39/42 helmet

M.39/42 helmet - inside

Sorry for the bad quality of photos.

As far as I know the Romanian army never used “second-hand” Dutch helmets, with the Dutch cipher.

Asjemenou	Posted: May 24, 2006 09:02 pm
Soldat Group: Members Posts: 4 Member No.: 925 Joined: May 24, 2006	Thank you for your wonderful reply Mihnea. Your reply brings facts to light for me. The Romanian part of WWII, specially the story about the helmets, is not very known in Holland. Concerning the Dutch helmet which was dug up in Poland. I think that we will never know how that helmet came to Poland. On another topic of this forum I found these pictures of another reissued Dutch helmet. Reissued as a (German) Luftschutz helmet. Like it was written in your reply, the helmets were manufactured until 1942 in Holland. Who knows were the Germans have sent these helmets too. Maybe they have sent them to Poland as well. At least, is there anything known about Romanian volunteers in Poland during WWII? It is interesting to see at this forum what Romanian military collectors like to collect and to discuss about. Is there a big interest for military collectables in Romania?

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