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Happy Birthday Colin,

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtsag - hoch soll er leben!

Here is another US M1917, marked "ZC 180". It has the liner intact, however the felt pad has deteriorated away. Additionally there is a painted emblem on the side, that of the US 28th Infantry Division.

Thanks Kenny.

Here is another one of my favorite pieces, WW1 German Armor. There are 2 types, one for machine gunners and static positions, and the the second type used for assault troops. This is the one used for assault troops as it has the shoulder stock ridge on the upper right side (users right). When I got this all the plates were disassembled, inside the duffle bag. Also included were the felt pads. All the plates are stamped with lot numbers, and I re-assembled the plates using a another set of armor as a guide. I used the correct type of webbing straps and black waxed rope to secure the plates together and used copper rivets for the shoulder pieces. Turned out nice I think. The duffle bag has LT. A.G. Cherry, 301st engineers, which was part of the US 76th Division. They arrived in france in July of 1918 and were for the most part, piecemealed out to other units. Typically engineers and other specialist units were kept together and forwarded to units in need. Note the sticker on the inside with Cherry's name as well.

Happy Birthday

Here is another US M1917 marked "ZA 54" complete with liner, no chinstrap.

Here is a US M1917 marked "ZB 15", also a close up of the sawdust used to reduce glare when mixed with paint.

2 Germans at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Quite different from the Offiziersausbildung with the Bundeswehr - no 40 hour week and going home at 4 pm every day. Something we were not used to in the Bundeswehr, says one of the officer cadets - one whole week outdoors on the go without sleep or rest und strenuous very conditions, takes some getting used to!

I am posting some pictures of my WW1 German Helmets, would love to see others post theirs as well.

Thanks Guys. much appreciated.

A rare and expensive item presently, most one or more of the lower plates missing and seldom have any original paintwork. Do you also have the brow plate for the steel helmet? These usually turn up as ground dug, seldom intact, due also to their heaviness the paintwork is the most vulnerable part, and of course the leather attachment strap. You did a good job at restoring the webbing attachments, this type of material is hardly obtainable nowadays. The copper rivets should of course have been iron, as copper would have been unsuitable and was no longer available midwar, but understandably restoring with iron rivets would have been more difficult

Here is another M1917 marked "ZB 55". Has the liner intact, but missing the chinstrap.

Very impressive! It is amazing how the spiked helmets were in vogue with so many countries before the war as well.

Another refurbished M16, marked "TJ. 66" TJ = C. Thiel & Soehne, Luebeck, which made sizes 66,68

Here is a refurbished M16 Helmet marked "Q. 66" Q = F.W. Quist, Esslingen/Neckar, shell size: 66

Here is another nice M16 German helmet with the stamp "B.F. 62" B.F. = F.C. Bellinger, Fulda which made helmet shell sizes 62 and 64.

Here is a nice M16 German helmet with the stamp "B.F. 64" B.F. = F.C. Bellinger, Fulda which made helmet shell sizes 62 and 64.

How the Stasi tapped important information sources in the West during the Cold War period. The story of the IM "Romeos" and their unwitting victims:

The many faces of Carl Eduard Carl Eduard, Viktoria Adelheid and family

A really great collection.

I only stopped collecting Pickelhaubes as I had to sell them to buy my first flat, so they went to a good cause.... I like to think my flat was subsidized by the Imperial German Army

Did you stop collecting?