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Hey all, just wanted to both share and inquire about this M933/47 I got a few months ago. All around it appears to be a pretty normal example, however two things about it have stumped me as to their purpose and origin. Firstly is the band of white paint around the rim. I've seen MP M33/47s and they all had their white bands around roughly the center of the helmet with an "M" on the front.
Secondly, this example has been fitted with a three-point chinstrap as found on the M942/60 para helmet, albeit missing the slider buckles on the left and right sides, to which I simple tied the straps through the bails to get them to stay in place for the photographs. Judging from the paint on the rivets and vents and the condition of the liner and chinstrap, it appears to be a factory job and not a field modification.
I've searched through my entire reference photo library of Italian military and police and could not find any examples of either the white painted rim or three-point chinstrap on an M33/47 in use, and I contact Philip of Philip's Military Helmets who checked both a book on Italian helmets he had and with an Italian helmet collector, both of which had no answers to it. I also couldn't find any similar examples in anyone's collections online.
Other than that, it did come with this Telo Mimetico cover, and I recently got a net and sunglasses/goggles to throw on it for display while I slowly assemble some Cold War era Italian kits together.
If anyone has any idea of what the significance of these modifications presents, I'm open to any and all thoughts.
In the meantime, here's the helmet and some period M33/47/Italian military photos for references.
Enjoy!
-Nate
And some M942/60 para models:
Secondly, this example has been fitted with a three-point chinstrap as found on the M942/60 para helmet, albeit missing the slider buckles on the left and right sides, to which I simple tied the straps through the bails to get them to stay in place for the photographs. Judging from the paint on the rivets and vents and the condition of the liner and chinstrap, it appears to be a factory job and not a field modification.
I've searched through my entire reference photo library of Italian military and police and could not find any examples of either the white painted rim or three-point chinstrap on an M33/47 in use, and I contact Philip of Philip's Military Helmets who checked both a book on Italian helmets he had and with an Italian helmet collector, both of which had no answers to it. I also couldn't find any similar examples in anyone's collections online.
Other than that, it did come with this Telo Mimetico cover, and I recently got a net and sunglasses/goggles to throw on it for display while I slowly assemble some Cold War era Italian kits together.
If anyone has any idea of what the significance of these modifications presents, I'm open to any and all thoughts.
In the meantime, here's the helmet and some period M33/47/Italian military photos for references.
Enjoy!
-Nate
And some M942/60 para models:
