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    Volkssturm Sauerland Helmets:  West Point Military Museum Artifact

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.

Volksstrum Main Volkssturm Helmets Volkssturm Insignia Volkssturm Sauerland
   

   

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

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