In the night of 3rd of August burglars broke into the Eyewitness museum which is located in Beek in the Netherlands.
It is estimated that the burglary took only 5 minutes and that they knew exactly what they wanted to steal. The break in is suspected to be placed ‘on order’. Multiple cars were used and witnessess speak of 6 to 8 men that were involved.
The thieves stole 9 full mannequins
The museum which was founded in 2013 shows predominantly the collection of the owner. The thieves stole 9 full mannequins that were displayed in diorama’s behind glass. Also weapons and helmets were stolen.
Below some images of the stolen goods that was asked to be shared by the museum. If you come across any of the items please send a message to peter@libertymaastricht.nl
I know the author from the online forums for more than 14 years. He made it his trademark to source helmets out of the Norwegian woodwork. On regular basis we are treated with topics on his new finds on the German Helmet Walhalla forum. In 2014 he published his first book showcasing his Norwegian finds. With this new book he takes it a step further and goes into detail about the specifics of the German helmet.
Book Review
The book starts with a very nicely detailed chapter on the first German steel helmets as used during World War 1 and moves on to what we collectors call the Transitional helmets , First World war helmets re-used in the Third Reich period.
Gladiator style helmets and the Medium weight Edelstahl helmets are only touched upon briefly and then it moves on full speed ahead to the German combat helmet models. Of each model (M35 , M40 and M42) we get chapters with nice examples of each branch of service (Heer, Luftwafe , Polizei , Kriegsmarine and SS). Helmets shown are from the author’s collection or from friends.
Also the for the first time published is the correlation between leather size stamps and liner band makers
After those chapters the book dives deeper into the specifics , these are my favorite pages especially because there are so many photos that can be used as a visual aid. We get to see the many different shell stamps , learn about the liner band and all its components. The chinstrap maker section is probably the largest brought together to date. I counted more than 90 photos ! Also the for the first time published is the correlation between leather size stamps and liner band makers. This study was done by 2 Italian collectors Andrea and Marco. The decals are up next and get a detailed breakdown by type and branch. The decal photos are really superb.
There’s an excellent chapter on reissued helmets and camo helmets
The above is just a review of the first half of the book and there is much more. There’s an excellent chapter on reissued helmets and camo helmets including winter camo helmets , wire camo’s and net camo helmets of which most were found in Norway. Even Wehrmacht and SS cloth covers are shown in detail. The final chapter of the book is about Fallschirmjäger helmets.
The photos in the book are of very high quality
Conclusion
This book is a must have for anyone interested in German combat helmets of the second World war be it as collector or history buff. The photos in the book are of very high quality and every chapter is supported by period photos as well.
How to order ?
This is a self published book so first editions may sell out fast. You can order it directly from the author via this e-mail : janmeland@hotmail.com
