Atticus Finch
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,718
- Location
- Coastal North Carolina, USA
I may have mentioned elsewhere on the forum that I recently inherited my childhood home. Jackie and I have spent much of this season beginning a long-need restoration necessary to turn the house into our summer home. Without getting overly mushy, it has been bitter sweet. I've gone down memory lane many times as we've uncovered things from my youth...sadly, usually hidden beneath decades of my parent's Alzheimer's induced hoarding. Last week, I found my little WWII helmet collection. I thought y'all might like to see it.
First up, and my favorite, is a relic from the Battle of the Atlantic. Its a M1 that was dragged up from the bottom of the ocean by a local trawler. Back in the early 'sixties, Dad owned an Esso dealership in Beaufort. He also maintained a dock on the waterfront where he sold fuel and other supplies to commercial fishermen. Because of Dad's close friendship with many of the local trawler captains, I was often the beneficiary of the junk fishermen caught in their nets...including this old M1. When I got it, it was covered in marine growth. The liner had rotted so badly, I just discarded it. I carefully removed the slime and barnacles from the steel pot, and found bits of original grey paint preserved beneath. I'm not sure how the helmet ended up on the floor of the ocean, but if USN helmets are anything like Ray-Ban Wayfarers and cell phones, I think I have a clue.
Next is my least favorite. I bought it in London when I was thirteen...I guess because I was thirteen. I doubt that I would have bought it had I been much older. I think that it is the only thing from that period of German history that I own, or will own. My only consoling thought is that it is a Luftwaffe helmet, the type commonly worn by German anti-aircraft gunners. As I understand it, many of those gunners were young draftees and were not hard-core Nazis. In fact, unless I am mistaken, one of them is now our Pope. By the way, I have no idea what the decal reads. Can someone help?
Post Edit: Per Google, I understand the decal reads: "Distribution approved in conformance with Air Raid Protection law", or something like that.
Next is my British or Canadian helmet (I think). I bought it at a surplus store in the late sixties. I still like it because it fits my size 7 3/4 head.
Finally, this is my surplus store M-1, with original liner and sweatband. Again, Dad was an Esso dealer during most of the 'sixties. The terminal where he purchased his product was in Wilmington, about two hours south of Beaufort. In the summer, when I wasn't in school, I would often ride along with him when he went a load of fuel or whatever. Time allowing, we would eat lunch and then visit the little Army-Navy store that was just off of Wilmington's waterfront. There were tons of WWII stuff available in those days, our general involvement in Vietnam still being years away. One could buy a M1 and liner for less than five dollars. This helmet is one of many Dad bought for me over the years. The crude, gold bar on the front is not original. I painted it on the helmet when I was eight or nine...because Dad was a 2nd Lieutenant during the war.
AF
First up, and my favorite, is a relic from the Battle of the Atlantic. Its a M1 that was dragged up from the bottom of the ocean by a local trawler. Back in the early 'sixties, Dad owned an Esso dealership in Beaufort. He also maintained a dock on the waterfront where he sold fuel and other supplies to commercial fishermen. Because of Dad's close friendship with many of the local trawler captains, I was often the beneficiary of the junk fishermen caught in their nets...including this old M1. When I got it, it was covered in marine growth. The liner had rotted so badly, I just discarded it. I carefully removed the slime and barnacles from the steel pot, and found bits of original grey paint preserved beneath. I'm not sure how the helmet ended up on the floor of the ocean, but if USN helmets are anything like Ray-Ban Wayfarers and cell phones, I think I have a clue.
Next is my least favorite. I bought it in London when I was thirteen...I guess because I was thirteen. I doubt that I would have bought it had I been much older. I think that it is the only thing from that period of German history that I own, or will own. My only consoling thought is that it is a Luftwaffe helmet, the type commonly worn by German anti-aircraft gunners. As I understand it, many of those gunners were young draftees and were not hard-core Nazis. In fact, unless I am mistaken, one of them is now our Pope. By the way, I have no idea what the decal reads. Can someone help?
Post Edit: Per Google, I understand the decal reads: "Distribution approved in conformance with Air Raid Protection law", or something like that.
Next is my British or Canadian helmet (I think). I bought it at a surplus store in the late sixties. I still like it because it fits my size 7 3/4 head.
Finally, this is my surplus store M-1, with original liner and sweatband. Again, Dad was an Esso dealer during most of the 'sixties. The terminal where he purchased his product was in Wilmington, about two hours south of Beaufort. In the summer, when I wasn't in school, I would often ride along with him when he went a load of fuel or whatever. Time allowing, we would eat lunch and then visit the little Army-Navy store that was just off of Wilmington's waterfront. There were tons of WWII stuff available in those days, our general involvement in Vietnam still being years away. One could buy a M1 and liner for less than five dollars. This helmet is one of many Dad bought for me over the years. The crude, gold bar on the front is not original. I painted it on the helmet when I was eight or nine...because Dad was a 2nd Lieutenant during the war.
AF
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