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Wartime German helmet chinstraps were
produced by a number of leather manufactures who were contracted by the
Armed Services Procurement Office.
Each manufacturer utilized various buckles that were essentially the
same in overall appearance. Close examination of the actual
details of each buckle type reveals that subtle differences exist between all
the variations. The photographs below depict all the know
variations which are considered original.
Early buckles were produced in sand polished
aluminum as well as bare steel. Steel versions were later produced
with light-gray or field-gray paint finishes. Some buckles were
more round than others, while others had a square shape. Bare
aluminum and steel buckles were produced first with painted buckles
appearing sometime in 1940. Even though some buckles were painted,
not all chinstraps produced after 1940 were made in this way. It
is important to note that all buckle styles were issued and used on
helmets through May 1945.
Click on any photo for detailed
information on buckle type!
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