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This double decal camouflage M1942
Sauerland helmet is in the possession of the
West Point Military Museum
at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.
The helmet was acquired as a gift in 1964 and has been in the
possession of the museum ever since. The helmet is unique as
it is the only known example of a Sauerland helmet that bears both
the runic symbol of the Armed-SS (Waffen-SS) and the Volkssturm
insignia of "Freikorps Sauerland." The helmet bears a
multi-color camouflage finish to which both decals have been
applied. The Sauerland decal is the version that does not
include a snake in the overall design. While some collectors
are likely to label this helmet a "reproduction" of some kind, the
fact that it was acquired in 1964 bears testimony that it is not a
modern counterfeit. This helmet and its decals far surpass the
quality of any known reproduction from that era. While
reproduction Sauerland decals of this kind are known to have been
widely manufactured in the late 1980's and 1990's, the decals on
this particular museum piece can not be attributed to those modern
reproductions. This helmet remains and interesting example for
further study.
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