Posted 10 years ago
battlegear
(69 items)
M40/M51 Steel helmet
this helmet would have been used by West German Police Forces and BGS Border Guards, it's a post WWII copy of the German M40 made for a very short time in the early 1950's.
These type of helmets were issued to the BGS/Bundes Grenz Schutz - border guard units of Western Germany.
they were made post war (refurbished ex-Wehrmacht helmets do exist) on the same machinery used during the war, except that there was only one single run of them made, thats why they all lack production / lot numbers in the skirt, and only have the size stamps of the shell...or sometimes no stamps at all.
They were issued to the dreaded BGS- Bundes Grenz Schutz/ Western Germany's border guard units that were organized almost like the real military, and equipped as such.
These helmets were made in several versions later on, this is the first type, still retaining the 3-rivet attachment system, and stamped air vents
The edge of the helmet was turned under or "rolled" on the undersides same as the WWII M40 helmet
Later models lack the 3 rivets, and at a given moment, even the air vents were taken out of the production process.
Thanks Battlegear.
That clears things up a bunch!
Nice helmet and great info!