Danish M-23 Helmet

Well here's another post of one of my helmets............... from all of my research, I believe it is a Danish model 1923 helmet.

I purchased this helmet in Denmark, back in 1981 and have had it "banging around" ever since. So far I have not been able to determine what the initials FDB or the Lion on the front signify. There is also a 5 on the left side, also a mystery. The liner is a light blue leather. The original paint is black. Based on the color and finish of the helmet, it appears top be a "civilian model" that was used by Danish Police, Fire, and Civil Defense. The blue leather liner is a complete mystery! I have only seen these helmets with natural leather liners...............

The person I purchased the helmet from told me that it had been used by the Danish Resistance during the German occupation of Denmark during WW2. This is just second hand info and I have not been able to verify this. I can say that these helmets were widely worn by the Resistance all through the war and there are MANY photos with danish soldiers wearing them.

Until I find out more, the helmet remains a bit of a mystery...............

French, Model 1915 Adrian Helmet, WW1

Here is another gem from my collection. This helmet is a WW1 French model 1915, Adrian Artillery helmet with original winter camouflage paint. I picked this helmet up at the Paris Flea Market in Paris, France in 1981.



The French Adrian helmets were named after the French General Adrian who designed them. The french soldiers originally went into combat in WW1 wearing only a Kepi hat. With the advent of trench warfare and near constant artillery barrages, with shells bursting overhead, the number of head wounds sky rocketed. The french answer to this was the lightweight Adrian steel helmet. As soon as the helmet was issued to the troops on the front, the number of head wounds fell. A simpler, and stronger version of this helmet, one that was stamped from a single piece of heavier steel, was issued in 1926.


Here are the pictures of my helmet........... The original blue-gray paint the helmet was issued in can still be seen inside the helmet under the liner, and where the white paint has been scratched away.

USCG Aircrew Survival Knife

Since I've been going through all of my "military collectables", I figured I ought to slip in a few items here and there that I carried while serving with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Up for your review is the Aircrew Survival Knife that I was issued in 1986, at USCG Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico. I carried this knife in the right lower leg pocket of my flight suit. This knife was with me on every flight I took!

I flew as a Flight Mechanic on HH65A , Aérospatiale, Dolphin Helicopters. I was the guy who did all of the rescue hoisting, radio communications, refueling, pre and post flight inspections, repairs and maintenance........ in other words, everything except fly the helicopter.......... and actually I sometimes got some stick time in the copilot's seat on training missions, so I guess I actually did a bit of everything on the HH65A's!

The patch at the top of the post is the "old style" Air Station Borinquen patch that we wore on the shoulder of our flight suits.

A here is my trusty old flight knife:

Bulgarian Army Field Photo 1970's

Here's another great photo showing one of my helmets in field use. This photo is of a Bulgarian soldier wearing a M36 helmet in the field. The photo appears to be from the 1970's.



The soldier is wearing the Bulgarian splinter camo uniform that was issued beginning in the 1970's and appears to be shooting an AK47.

Polish Paratroopers

While doing some research into the various helmets in my collection, I ran across some more information on the Polish Paratroopers that wore my Polish-East German Paratrooper Helmet, and some great photos.

The photos are of the Polish Paratroopers in action from the 70's through 1991, Excellent pictures! The color picture on the magazine article scan is from a Soldier of Fortune article that ran in 1991. I have the whole article if anyone is interested......... The unit that they were visiting and reporting on was the Polish 6th Pomeranian Airborne Assault Brigade. It would seem that these helmets were still being worn into the early 1990's by Polish airborne troops...... very interesting.

US WW2 Duffel Bag

LIFE Magazine photo of WW2 Soldier on leave with duffel bag.

While going through all of my "junk" in my old shop stuff, I came across an old US Army duffel bag that needed a good cleaning......... After washing, I gave it a closer look before deciding if it was a keeper or not. It turned out to be a 1944 issue, US Army duffel bag! The "everyday, common" items that were used by the soldiers are some of the toughest things to find these days. They ended up being used for civilian purposes after the war, worn out, and then discarded. With the folks who do WW2 reenactments, these type of bags are highly sought after and they are actually being copied and sold as replicas. This bag is an original.

The bag has had a number of names and numbers stenciled on it through the years, so I'm sure it has an interesting history...... that is if it could talk :) I'll be trying to decipher the names and number to see if there is anything that I can investigate or document further.

Here are the pictorial details:

Wharf Rats in Print

Port Townsend's weekly paper, The Leader, comes out each Wednesday and since The Warf Rats will be playing for this Saturday's contra dance, we have the honor of being pictured in the "what's happening" section of the paper. :)

Here's a scan of the band's picture "in the press"....................
See you at the dance this Saturday!