Special Note: It was a dilemma deciding whether to put this helmet in the WWII Axis or the WWII Allied sections. Latvian history during this period is complex. In truth, it belongs in neither section and there should be separate category for helmets from the Baltic republics. To conserve space on my homepage and forContinue reading “Latvian/German M17*”
Category Archives: WWII Axis
Japanese M41 Paratrooper*
General Information: The Imperial Japanese Army fielded a small number of airborne units during the Second World War. At the end of 1944 these units were consolidated to form the First Raiding Group (Dai 1 Teishin Shudan) which had a strength of approximately 12,000 men.[1] IJA paratroopers were equipped with the Model 1941 helmet. ThereContinue reading “Japanese M41 Paratrooper*”
Finnish/Austrian M17*
General Information: The German WWI style helmets were the main type used by the Finnish army in the 1920s and 30s and through the First Winter War. After this period a surprising variety of other helmets were secured, but the German WWI models continued to be used throughout the war and into the early post-warContinue reading “Finnish/Austrian M17*”
Japanese IJN M22 1931 Variant*
General Information: The Japanese “Cherry Blossom” helmet is a collector term for this model. Officially, it was called the “Provisional Standard Head Armor” and was referred to as “kabuto” (head armor). Collectors also use the terms Model 1922 or Model 1918 Type 2, or Second Model M18. For more information on this type, please seeContinue reading “Japanese IJN M22 1931 Variant*”
Japanese IJN Type 90*
General Information: The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) had procurement lines that were different from those used by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Both armed service branches used the Type 90 steel helmets, but there are differences in how their respective helmets were configured. The most prominent difference is that the IJN helmets had metal badgesContinue reading “Japanese IJN Type 90*”
Italian M42 Paratrooper
General Information: The Italian Model 1942 helmet replaced the limited-production Model 1941 and was the main helmet used by Italian paratroopers during the Second World War. Displayed Example: I acquired this helmet in a trade with a Canadian collector friend. He in turn, found this in a flea market in Ottawa. It is named toContinue reading “Italian M42 Paratrooper”
Bulgarian M36
General Information: The Bulgarian Model 1936 was the helmet used by Bulgarian armed forces during the Second World War. Initially it was manufactured in two factories in Czechoslovakia and also in the Eisenhuttenwerk Thale facility in Thale, Germany. Subsequently, the M36 helmets were made in a factory in the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak.[1] There wereContinue reading “Bulgarian M36”
Hungarian M38
General Information: Two factories manufactured the Hungarian Model 1938 helmet: MÁVAG (Magyar Királyi Vas, Acél és Gépgyárak) in Budapest and Magyar Waggon és Gépgyár in Győr.[1] The latter is sometimes referred to as simply “Győr.” There has been confusion in collector circles as to the number and names of factories that produced the M38. ThisContinue reading “Hungarian M38”
Finnish M40
General Information: The Finns used a surprising array of helmet types and Finnish helmets of the Second World War are almost a subcategory of collecting unto themselves. One of the helmets that they used was the Swedish Model 1937. The Swedes sent 20,000 of these to their Nordic neighbor. In 1940 the Finns purchased aContinue reading “Finnish M40”
Japanese IJN/SNLF*
General Information: The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) used the same Type 90 helmets as the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), but with different frontal emblems. These were either metal badges with a ship’s anchor or yellow stenciled anchors. Because the IJA and IJN/SNLF helmets came from different procurements, thereContinue reading “Japanese IJN/SNLF*”
Steel Helmets of the World Wars 