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Another recently acquired piece. Rather salty Luftwaffe EM/NCO side cap. Got this as part of a trade with a friend. Nice size 56, ant make out a date or maker.

I got this in trade from a friend, WW1 british helmet, still has a nice paint job on it and most of the liner, but sadly the strap is gone. Does anyone have a clue as to the markings on it? appears to be some sort of black wash symbols.

Picked up this Luftwaffe 1st Pattern tropenhelm recently to add to the collection. Unusually late made canvas (1943) as mostly the felt 2nd pattern ones were being made by that time. This one has the darker Heer type trim and strap but has always been a Luftwaffe used helmet. Its also the lovely all green type which i really wanted.

Another trade from a friend. Rather interesting WW2 Japanese type 90 helmet, painted star, still has the liner.

Arrrgggggggggghhhhhhhh.....My Dad sent back from Germany an original - Mein Khamph (cannt bloody spell it now) - and with all original photos in it, not copies and as I wanted to save up to buy a moped at 15 years old, I sold it when I was 13 for 10/-...equal to today money 25p?..........I never told my Dad as he always wondered where it went to. I feel so guilty that he went all through the Western Desert with different commanders and ended up with Monty....then up through Sicily, across to Salerno, then back to land on Sword Beach of the afternoon of 6th June 1944.....What a little bar-steward I was...so sorry Dad..Miss You Still...!

@Desert Rat let me know if you ever see something you want but postage is too high, some dealers knock up the cost, I would be happy to be a go between, and get it to you for actual cost.

I think thats it @Davejb! I know I had cousins and uncles that brought them back, all Marines, I use to have a Dagger that my cousin Phil brought back from Tarawa, but stupid kid I was i traded it! wish I could get it back.

Cheers @Davejb! I got lucky on this as I have never had an all green one, I did have a two tone Luftwaffe 1st pattern some years back, wish I still had it! The Heer one I have is missing the trim you mentioned but I got that one at a good price. I have gotten to collecting the shields, in the hopes I will come across cheap shield less helmets, I have a nice set of Kriegsmarine shields just waiting,lol.

Over here they cost way too much, You seem to get them pretty easier over the pond, I take it because thousands of them were brought back by marines

Hello Tony, This also looks very, very good, I like it....I still wonder where you find all these superb items? Thanks for showing us....Best Wishes.....IanB/ UK

What can I say Tony....Another brilliant item for your collection. Thanks for showing us and Best to you...IanB

WOW......Thats a very nice piece Tony...Lucky man to get this! Brilliant and thanks for showing us at MCN......IanB

This one comes from Central Italy and the items coming from that part of Italy are the ones I love most because it's where my late father and his brothers joined the Allied Forces after the 8th September 1943 Armistice. It comes from a very old collection that's been dispersed a few years ago by the family of a gentlemen who started collecting as a kid immediately after the War. One of his closest friends has told me that it most likely comes from the Bologna area, where they picked up a lot of things,German,Italian and Allied. In my opinion it's a beautiful Mid-War M43 with rarely encountered,zig-zag sewn, separated insigna and separate cockade like on M36/42 sidecaps.The latter has been sewn over the former as was often the case with caps with separate eagle and cockade. The lining is made of tan rayon but no markings are visible anymore.Please note the "shadow" left by the buttons on the buttonholes.The exposed thread has turned light tan while the part under the button retains the original gray colour! It's another "salty dog" which has brilliantly stood the test of time and that it's in as-founs/as left/taken/picked up/stolen conditions,including the moth "remains"!I NEVER wash items but I put them in a vacuum bag,after a few minutes without oxygen even the most stubborn moth will kiss its miserable life good bye! I hope you enjoy Cheers Manu

I like that cap @Manu Della Valle,!

Cant see the images, sorry

Hello & Welcome, Sorry I can't help you as I collect different items, but I am sure someone on MCN will assist you. Thank for showing us the images.....Best to you...Desert Rat/ Ian

You never stop learning in this game, and believe me i,ve made enough mistakes in the past to sink the Bismarck all over again, but in just over 50 years of collecting you pick up bits and pieces plus use your own common sense, and lots and lots of reading and research, but I still get stumped on subjects that are well beyond my knowledge, it all depends on what you specialise in, or a little of everything, SS items plague me and I rarely comment on them as its a minefield and a very specialised subject and a dangerous one for most collectors, Theres only very few collectors I would trust with SS items, caps especially, one is Ben VK, another is Frederick Bertold for uniforms, and Doug Bueler for helmets, even Kelly Hicks has made mistakes especially with the Champagne SS decals

If I had as much knowledge as you Davejb....I would feel more confident to answer some questions!!!

Now that is one sexy M-43 @Manu Della Valle and just the way I like my headgear with that been there done that look I am so fond of and yes I would agree that the zig-zag stitching is indeed machine done...this example just oozes character my friend ...

Again, another amazing piece of headgear Manu. I really like that insignia combination too, one I've not seen on an army M.43 before, more commonly found I think, on Luftwaffe examples.

The longer arrow points at where the stitching had stopped!

Hi @Davejb, it's POSITIVELY,ABSOLUTELY machine stitched!An experienced worker would do a "regular" zig-zag pattern but a younger (or older hand) or a new,unexperienced worker would space the stitches unevenly...it all depends on how fast you move the cloth on the sewing machine!No point hand-sewing an insigna that way,it would be a pointless waste of time! Further...take a look at where the zig-zag starts...that's where the needle first started to stitch on the cloth! Later tonight I'll post a M38 sidecap with moth "droppings" and feneral moth-related "dirt"!I don't even remove that kind of things..I just put the item in a vacuum plastic bag overnightand let mothballs do the rest of the job! Many years ago I often used to wash tunics an d trousers in my bathtub or even putting the HBT ones in the washing machine!Knowing how to do no disasters struck but I washed away the dust of time,and in many cases that would have meant the very dirt on which the owner of that tunic or pair of trousers had fought!The reason for that was simple;many uniforms came from Florence's immense rag depots,where these garments had spent decades amongst tonnes of decaying cloths and rags! Cheers Manu

This is my latest find and a very rare one. It's a Pz M42 cap that was converted into an M43 by means of adding a visor. This was quite a common thing to do during the war and I've owned and seen many field grey versions but never a black one before. It's a salty old dog which has obviously seen action but it's still in good condition with only a few small holes and slight moth tracking. It was found in Germany so the insignia has been removed as usual so I'm looking for some suitable ones if anyone can help? It would have had a separate eagle and cockade just like on the PZ sidecap.