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Police M1940 Double Decal Beaded Model Helmet

This M1940 beaded model helmet was a souvenir brought back by a returning US serviceman. The helmet, along with the original police officer's paperwork, was captured with a number of items including effects from the German's personal belongings. The helmet is a perfect example of the beaded model helmets that were factory defects reissued to the police. On this particular example, readers will note the large circular indentation right above the front liner retaining rivet on both the left and right sides of the helmet. This defect, along with the extraneous metal flashing at the rear of the helmet's exterior warranted that it be relegated to "medium duty" status and issued to the German police. The bead along the centerline of the helmet was placed there after the factory defects were identified. This bead was the marker that was placed on all M1935, M1940, and M1942 combat helmets that had flaws in the quality of the shell. This helmet also indicates a wartime upgrade in the sense that it has a standard combat liner and chinstrap as opposed to the more commonly found civic variety of lesser quality. Combat liners in beaded model helmets are common and acceptable, but less often found due to the widespread use of the cheaper quality civic model liners. The paperwork for this helmet denotes that it was issued to "Reinhold Hinrichs" who served in the Schutzpolizei in Hamburg, Germany. It is rare to be able to identify a particular helmet with the actual paperwork of the original wearer.

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German-Helmets.com - The Online Reference Guide to World War II German Helmets 1933-1945