u/UA6TL

Here is my display of a late WWII German Army Infantryman.

It's a mix of originals and reproductions.

I really did this just to display the zeltbahn.

Everything is original except for the tunic, the trousers, the chinstrap, and the Y-strap (which I aged myself and I think it turned out pretty good).

I think the boots are US made Lend Lease Soviet boots, but the markings are worn away, so I'm not sure. In my opinion they look better than reproduction boots and it's not easy to find original German low boots.

Anyway, thanks for looking!

A new arrival to my collection that took a couple years to finally arise at a reasonable price — the rarest of the three main helmets wartime used by the Red Army, the SSh-40.

First fielded in 1941, the SSh-40 was primarily manufactured by the Lysva Metallurgical Factory (LMZ) from 1941-1945, with the Red October Factory (ZKO) producing some helmets until its destruction in 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad. LMZ refurbished the stockpiles of wartime SSh-40s from 1948-1950, the majority dating to either 1944 or 1945. This is what makes them so rare today.

This example was produced by LMZ in 1944 and is equipped with a wartime undyed economy chinstrap and accompanied by a wartime 3-pad liner, which is also undyed on the interior. A crisp layer of 1944 4BO covers both the interior and exterior of the helmet, along with the engraving of the soldier’s name who apparently left this helmet in Prague.

This helmet was produced in batch 3312, and is a size 1. Interestingly enough, the font of the “3” is what they used in the previous years, before switching over to a new style of stamping.

I like this badge, especially the design.

1. ET64 M40 Heer "Normandy" camouflage.

2. ET64 M40 Luftwaffe light green and light brown camouflage sprayed over winter camouflage.

3. ET66 M35 Heer reissue "Normandy" camouflage.

4. Q64 Heer M35 green "Rautarn" rough texture sand camouflage.

5. M42 green "Rautarn" rough texture sand camouflage. (The manufacturer code is not legible)

The 17th infantry cap was the highlight and for sure a grail of mine. The NCO cap is also an Albert Zillessen, a nice rare maker.

I recently acquired this camouflaged M35 reissue helmet, I purchased directly from the family of the GI who brought it back from Italy.
They live about 45 minutes away from me, so I drove there and picked it up myself.
It was never in a collection, it sat in the attic of their house for many decades.
It just checks all the boxes for me, I absolutely love the camouflage.
I think I can see white paint under the camo through the scratches, so it appears to be an ex-winter camo helmet as well.
It is an ET66, but the manufacturer code is barely visible due to a small patch of rust in that area.
The lot number is 3143, based on this I believe it was produced during 1937.
It is most likely a Heer helmet, there are some small cracks in the paint in the decal area on the left hand side and I can faintly see the online of the decal.
It does have a steel liner band, that is what make's me believe it is a reissue.
Unfortunately the leather liner and chinstrap deteriorated long ago, but really I don't mind at all.
I plan to eventually put this helmet on a mannequin, so at least I don't have to worry about the leather getting damaged.
Painted inside is the name Niemela, which I find to be very interesting. That is not a common German name, it's actually of Finnish origin. I suppose this German soldier had some paternal Finnish ancestry.
This helmet saw a lot of frontline use throughout the entire war, if it could only talk.

In 1943, aiming to hold the approaches to the Taman Peninsula, the German command constructed a massive defensive line in the Kuban region, which Soviet military later dubbed the "Blue Line." It was considered so impregnable that even Joseph Goebbels personally spoke of its invulnerability. At the heart of this defense on Mount Andreyeva, near the village of Krasny Oktyabr, the Germans built permanent firing points (DOTs) made of concrete and metal. These protected earthen depressions were dug 2-3 meters deep into hills and mountains for a better view, primarily to install machine guns that blocked enemy movement. In September 1943, the fierce battles on this front sector reached their highest intensity, claiming the lives of about 18,000 Soviet soldiers and officers from the 58th Army and three marine brigades. On the night of September 18-19, following a sudden assault where Soviet troops secretly crossed the Kurka River, the German defense was crushed. Today, only three of these original DOTs remain in Krasny Oktyabr. To this day, a sunken tank rests at the bottom of the Kurka River, and the wreckage of 32 Soviet aircraft lies in the surrounding floodplains.

Geographical Note for Researchers: If you try to find "Mount Andreyeva" on standard global maps like Google Maps, you likely won't find a massive peak. In local and military topography, this refers to a strategic elevation rather than a mountain range. To find the exact location of these surviving bunkers and the monument today, search for the village of Krasny Oktyabr in the Temryuksky District of the Krasnodar Krai (Красный Октябрь, Темрюкский район).

Grandpa was a doctor in WWII. He was stationed at a hospital in Ludwigshafen, Germany, near the end of the war and traded for this Walther P38. Guy was a non-smoker and said the trade was for three or four cartons of smokes.

Yall are probably better at deciphering this stuff, but markings seem to be:

byf 44

9091 d

wa 4135 (?)

It's been in a box ever since, grandpa said he never fired it. I've got no experience with firearms, any details that can be shared about this? And any thoughts on reasonable value in a sale? My dad, who now owns the P38, says he'd like to sell it and is curious about a fair price.

Preciate your input.

This is my first flag and SS belt buckle. I'm assuming this was just a small personal pennant flag of some type? I got relatively good deals on everything and from my research it's all authentic. Other items include wood bullets on strippers, P08 and P38 magazines, holster, tools, and ammo. Anyone also recognize the small metal punch? Came with the luger tool but I haven't seen one before.

A little overstimulated lol. The letter is for the wound badge. The soldier unfortunately did not make it.

All original and wartime pieces. M42 Rigger Reinforced trousers and jacket named to Staff Sgt Jay Shenk 502nd PIR 1st Bat Company C. Original T5 Parachute Harness. (Not packed currently but we have the chute in storage)

Lots of misc small detail pieces as well including M42 Calvary Gloves, B4 Mae West, M7 (with original mask and unissued cylinders in it), schrade pocket knife, clicker, Dday Invasion letter, unopened lucky strikes, type 1 and type 2 rope, unopened FAK, a Australian made leg bag, Etc…

(Also recently picked up a hawkins grenade and PPN1A Eureka Beacon not in this photo. I’ve also changed the helmet net out for a more accurate helmet net for the dday era).

This was taken during an event tear down earlier this year.

The blade is stamped S/174G and it has the unusual waffenamt of eagle over 77. This code was for WKC and the G is for 1935. Typically, a WKC blade would have a WaA235 for the team based in Solingen, but due to the mass production of blades coming out of the city, a team from Wehrkreis IX in Kassel came to assist. That is why you see some blades in 1934-35 from WKC with non standard waffenamts.

Found this offer online and wanted to check the authenticity. The Shell and Paint look fine imo but the Pins are kinda suspicious. Some opinions would be cool :)