I am looking for a Luftschutz helmet for a "Last Days of The Reich" type of impression - that period in 1945 when everyone from the Volkssturm to the RAD to the Luftschutz was being armed and deployed to the lines. Anyone know of a good source of affordable original models, or quality repros? (helmet will be bashed about it bit, would prefer to use a repro rather than destroying an original)
Does anyone make a repro?
aka Stigroadie
AFRA
better by design
"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
While reading up on the design, one of the websites mentioned that with repros now in production, the chances of fraud were increasing - but, as ever, they did not actually provide a link to said repro examples.
Anyone?
Didn't they just use whatever helmets were available? Am sure they used firemans helmets repainted and also any helmets left over from WW1, try searching ebay for 'german fire helmet' or 'WW1 german helmet'...
There is a german fire helmet on ebay for £75 which has a visor and is the wrong colour, but it could be stripped down and repainted...
There are loads of cheap WW1 german helmets on ebay, it depends on what you want to spend...
Try searching for 'Feuerwehrhelm' and set your ebay preference to europe, you will get all german firemans helmets from ww2 up to modern day, there are a couple of WW2 firemans helmets and the post war DDR firemans helmets look good, try and avoid the M40's converted post war by the BW, hope this helps...
There is a german fire helmet on ebay for £75 which has a visor and is the wrong colour, but it could be stripped down and repainted....
And the visor removed?
aka Stigroadie
AFRA
better by design
"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
In post war Germany the DDR and BW both used surplus WW2 German helmets as firemans helmets, they were repainted, had ventilation holes drilled in them and had a protective face visor fitted, usually on a spring system, the visor could be easily removed much like a face visor on a modern hard hat.
The German fire brigade in WW2 used old WW1 helmets with ventilation holes drilled in them and it was these helmets that were used along with surplus WW1 helmets to equip the Luftschutz. If you look at the picture of the helmet at the top of this thread you will see the ventilation holes, its an old fireman helmet.
So find a post war DDR firemans helmet and remove the face visor and paint it in your choice of German helmet colour, or just use a repro WW1 helmet, job done...
The helmet I posted is a the Luftschutz "gladiator" model, the M44(?). They were designed that way, and were not re-conditioned combat helmets as you are suggesting.
You could go and buy an original Luftschutz gladiator helmet for £1000+ from a collector or you could get the same effect by converting a WW1 or surplus DDR firemans helmet for about £30 to £50, they are all one and the same thing. The Germans just reused the helmet shells from WW1 surplus to equip the civilians.
Can you post a picture of one of these converted firemen helmets that look like the gladiator design I originally posted?
This is an M17 WW1 German helmet used by the Luftschutz
http://www.whartonmilitaria.co.uk/detai ... em=GHC0022
This is just one example of many, you can take whichever WW1 helmet that you like the shape of and transform it into a late war Luftschutz or Volksstrum helmet.
The idea was just a suggestion for you to go away and have a look at what helmets are on offer and choose one that you like the look of to convert into a Luftschutz helmet.
And how am I meant to convert that M17 helmet into the gladiator design?
The idea was just a suggestion for you to go away and have a look at what helmets are on offer and choose one that you like the look of to convert into a Luftschutz helmet.
I am looking for a Luftschutz helmet for a "Last Days of The Reich" type of impression
Your original post said you were looking for a 'Luftscutz' helmet, it did not specify that you wanted a 'gladiator' helmet, I was trying to help you with finding a cheap Luftschutz helmet by saying that they used old WW1 helmets and you could get these cheap on ebay. I was trying to offer you a cheaper and easier to obtain alternative.
My first post included a picture of the gladiator helmet.
All my subsequent posts referred specifically to the gladiator style.
I thought I was being clear on the matter, but clearly not...
Thank you for your attempt though. If I wanted a fireman helmet or an old M17, I would have said as much.
Absolutely no need to be rude to a fellow forum member who was trying to help you with an affordable and feasible option. Apologies Manpig.
Not trying to be rude, just trying to be clear on the matter - which I thought I was doing all along. Apologies if my clarifications are seen as offensive, it was certainly not intended that way.
