M.42 "slate grey" ND bvl 64

[Hambone]

....or qvl with an upside down q struck Unissued shape, 1944 liner band. One flat rivet, two domed, but identical in finish and appearance and consistent internally and externally, not monkeyed with, you can tell. Lot nr. looks to be 5897 perhaps. Thanks to Brian / M45 and his lot number research

 

[Peter U]

Nice helmet.

Is it a Kriegsmarine helmet?

 

[Hambone]

Thanks Peter. Nope, just very late, late 1944/1945. They were transitioning to that slate grey color for all helmets for all branches instead of feldgrau for Heer and KM and grey/blue for Luftwaffe. The maker, qvl (or sometimes, as on this one "bvl" because of an upside down die strike) is hard to find and it has not been confirmed which factory made these. It was thought that they were made in occupied Czechoslovakia as many have turned up refinished and repainted black as Cz. fire helmets post war.

 

[mauser99]

Some of the last helmet made before the end of the war. Research is leaning toward CKL as the manufacture ? If Im not mistaken.
some are marked bvl some qvl and possibly a die issue from ckl or another late code change ?
Paint has oxidized quite a bit and the exterior would have been closer to the interior color 70 years ago.

Nice helmet and not that easy to find.

 

[Hambone]

Thanks, those pictures are not mine, and are digitally deceptive with respect to the shell color and oxidation. The shell is much nicer in normal light, not washed out and not rusted, I was surprised at how much nicer. I've been looking for a nice slate grey since I found one for Farb, and was lucky to just run up on a bvl.

 

[M45]

While helmet terms such as "Steel Helmet 35" and "feldgrau" are official TR era terms, I personally avoid them because of their vagueness.

For example, Steel helmet 35 refers to all collector designated M35/M40 and M42 helmets. Different ways of producing the same helmet, in essence. But collectors want to know the finer details. Is the helmet a M35, a M40, or a M42? This is much more specific. Thus, the term 'Steel Helmet 35' becomes an archaic term that I rarely use.

Also the term "feldgrau" has been used to describe the smooth paint on M35s, smooth-feldgrau. Textured or rough feldgrau describes the paint on Heer, KM, SS, Police M40s and M42s. 'Police-feldgrau" describes the dark, smooth finishes found on 1940 era field police helmets (ET, SE). There is also light-feldgrau and dark-feldgrau. Everything is feldgrau (or field-gray), meaning that it is a far too general of a term.

I use the paint catalog described in Goodapple Vol. II and find it to be very useful and much more descriptive than 'feldgrau'.

Parade-finish light green (PFLG) describes the smooth finishes found on DD Heer, KM, SS and field police M35 helmets.
Rough texture green-gray (RTGG) describes the rough finishes found on SD Heer, KM, SS and Field police M40s and M42s.

There is also the parade finish blue gray (PFBG) and rough texture blue-gray (RTBG) found on Luftwaffe M35 and M40/42 helmets.

SLATE gray or 'schieffer-grau' appeared in about mid 1942 and gradually became more dominant, but green-gray was never entirely abandoned.

The term 'M35/40' is one I also avoid due to vagueness and very rarely use it.

 

[M45]

Some of the last helmet made before the end of the war. Research is leaning toward CKL as the manufacture ? If Im not mistaken.
some are marked bvl some qvl and possibly a die issue from ckl or another late code change ?
Paint has oxidized quite a bit and the exterior would have been closer to the interior color 70 years ago.

Nice helmet and not that easy to find.

I found this on a German forum. An online translator will help get a better idea of what is being said.

The paragraph below suggests that consideration was being made on December 30, 1943 to move helmet presses to Brno, Slovakia to produce helmets. This could be in relation to the qvl/bvl M42 helmets.

In der "Niederschrift über die Arbeitstagung des selbstständigen Arbeitssausschusses Stahlhelme" vom 10 Januar 1944 in Thale …
• Punkt I/5 Auftragsverlagerung

Für die Auftragsverlagerung in das Protektorat (Ottoahal, Brünn) besteht wegen der offenen Pressenfrage noch keine Möglichkeit. Zu der vom Arbeitsausschus Stahlhelme angeregten Umsetzung der Pressen von anderen Protektoratsfirmen zu Ottoahal liegt eine Stellungnahme zu dem Schreiben an das Rüstungskommando Brünn vom 30.12.1943 noch nicht vor. Verlagerung in die Slowakei wird erneut ins Auge gefasst.


Computerized translation:

In the minutes of the working session of the self-employed labor committee steel helmets" of 10 January 1944 in Thale…
• Point I/5 job relocation

for job relocation to the protectorate (Ottoahal, Brno) is due to the open press question still no way. The working committee steel helmets excited implementation of presses from other companies to ottoahal protectorate is an opinion on the letter to the defense command Brno from 30.12.1943 not yet available. Relocation in Slovakia will again be taken into consideration.

 

[mrfarb]

That one is much nicer than mine, good score!

 

[mauser99]

CZECH connection makes sense. Hence why so many were found there after the wall came down. Plus those Tan painted examples supposedly sold to Egypt by the Czechs.

 

[jack944]

nice

Eventually ND helmets will be the rarest....Super lid