I also paid premium to have a hand selected helmet of the highest quality available. This item is 100% original and is a guaranteed shot at not getting one of the more common dented up & rusted/heavily used items. Liner is size 60. Shell has no markings but appears to be either a size 62 or 64 shell. No modifications done to this helmet; one thin layer of protective CLP oil was applied to protect the item in transit. OTHER ITEMS ARE TO SIMULATE A REENACTOR’S LOADOUT AND ARE NOT INCLUDED. Original Item: One of the last of all the known WWII German helmet stocks from the government of Finland. Supplied throughout WWII and then under special contract for the Finnish Army in 1955, hence, they have become known as the M40/55 helmet. However, these helmets were made in the same factory, on the same machines and by some of the very same people that produced them for Germany in WWII. Furthermore, we have very good reason to believe that some of these shells are. This helmet is offered in good to very good condition, but will show storage wear, minor paint chips and scratches, and occasionally a small ding bu. Is free of major dents or imperfections. After all, these are real military helmets that were used by actual soldiers in the defense of their country. This is a rare chance to own a genuine military issue German made M40 WWII style helmet for the almost the same price as a Chinese or Indian made reproduction. There is simply no comparison to a genuine combat helmet! History of Finnish Combat Helmets. Finland imported tens of thousands of helmets for the Winter War of 1939-40 and the Continuation War of 1941-44, and imported again in 1955. Since IMA acquired the last of all the known helmet stock from the Finnish government you may wonder did we get German WWII marked helmets? Yes, and they will be offered at a far higher price. Did we get other types of helmets? Yes, we also received Hungarian WWII M38 (1938) helmets as well. This deal is a treasure trove of WWII era combat helmet history. History the German & Finnish Alliance. In 1938 Finland became very concerned with Stalin’s Soviet expansionism and turned to Great Britain and France for support. Both Countries were under supplied themselves so Finland, perhaps reluctantly turned to Nazi Germany for aid. Hitler was swift to assist supplying great quantities of materiel including thousands of German Battle Helmets. The Russians invaded Finland in 1939 driving deep into the country. The Finns resisted with amazing tenacity that has been the subject of legend and the wonderful WW2 Movie “THE WINTER WAR” (offered by IMA). The Russians paid a very heavy price and sued for peace in early 1940 keeping the invaded areas of Finland. Finland totally exhausted agreed with great regret. In the summer of 1941 Hitler’s Nazi War Machine invaded the Soviet Union driving everything before them. Finland whom had received so much help from Germany then rose up and drove the Soviet presence out of Finland. However Finland would not “invade” the Soviet Union, they declared themselves not to be aggressors. It is true however that the Germans recruited great numbers of Finnish “Volunteers” for their “SS UNITS” that did invade Mother Russia but that was true of all the overrun European Countries and even some others, still independent including apparently England and the United States, although these number were said to be very low. At the close of WW2 with Germany defeated Finland was highly penalized by the Soviet Union, again gave up the lost territory of 1939/40 but did manage to retain it’s independence unlike so much of Eastern Europe. The item “Original German M40 WWII Type Steel Helmet- Finnish M40/55 Contract” is in sale since Friday, August 24, 2018. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\Germany\Hats & Helmets”. The seller is “texaswheatllc” and is located in Wilson, Texas. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Walther P38: Walther P38
- Featured Refinements: German WWII Helmet
- 1941: 1941
- Wehrmacht: Wehrmacht
- M40: M40
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
- Waffen: Waffen
- helmet: helmet
- WWII: WWII
- Krupp: Krupp
- Mauser: Mauser