Anyone could recognize this helmet from the Middle East ?

Hello,

I would like to identify this helmet and to know from which country it is coming from .

Any idea ? Thank you in advance.

JYN

HI J-Y,

This helmet was for afghan presidential guard (period 1992-1996). 



Amicalement
Guilhaume

Thank you Guilhaume.

That was so simple.

Jean-Yves

No problems

Guilhaume

I like it,any chance of some pics of the liner etc?

Thanks

Thanks and very interesting,wonder if the shell is a WW2 German made M35/M40?

That would be my guess.  The WW2 victors didn't like to waste captured materials.  Note also the crude Soviet style liner. The Soviets had literally millions of German helmets on hand after the war, but by the 1990s I guess the leather would have been pretty much useless if the helmets weren't stored properly.  Wouldn't surprise me in the least if they found a rotting pile of helmets, replaced the liners as cheaply as possible, and handed them out to their Afghan puppets.

JYN, look for markings along the inside rim.  You might also want to post a picture to Wehrmacht Awards Forum.  Those guys know pretty much everything about WW2 German stuff, no matter where it wound up.

Steve

Hi,

Well, this identification has been posted because the owner of this helmet was looking for info about it.
I am not owning the helmet, sorry. I think he is mainly a WWII german lids collector and probably got this helmet as a weird customization piece as we all do have in our collection, one day.

JYN

This helmet is made ​​in a Spanish Z42 helmet (first type). Probably recover by Afghans in the 80s. It was at this time that the Spanish army helmet changed.




Exemple






Guilhaume

Very unusual example jean-yves, thanks for sharing it here.

I'm confused by your post, Usall.  Are you saying you think the Afghan helmet looks like a Spanish type?  To me it doesn't look like that at all.  Liner rivet holes are different, the Afghan has a crimped edge vs. the Spanish cut type, and the Spanish helmets (all?) have the unique clip on the front for affixing a metal armed forces badge (for parades, guard duties, etc.).  The clip is not present on the Afghan helmet and I doubt the Afghans would have removed it.

True that the liner of the Z42 1st Model is similar, but so too are almost all Soviet Bloc steel helmet liners.  I also remember the Spanish chin straps being leather, not cheap webbing.

Steve

Yes it's true the two pictures are not good examples, sorry.
I'll try to do it again, sorry for my bad English. I use a translator so it may be hard to understand.

I think the origin of the helmet is Spanish. The helmet shell is of German origin (M35). The interior and Jugular can be manufactured locally?



Here the side of the helmet.





Spanish 42/79 helmet (helmet shell M35, german origin).


source: http://www.world-war-helmets.com/fiche.php?q=Casque-Espagnol-Mle-Z-42-79








Usall

You are doing fine with the translator

I still do not think it is Spanish.  Even the "reutilized" German M35 helmets have the badge holder welded to the front of the helmet and I don't see it on the Afghan helmet.  I can not imagine them bothering to cut them off.  The Spanish helmets have a different rivet (flat) vs. the German round (though I do not know if 100% Spanish helmets have flat rivets).  The liner, to me, does not look like a Spanish liner.  It is too crude and the chin strap isn't the same style.

Also, I do not know of any history of Afghanistan purchasing surplus items from Fascist or Democratic Spain.  Especially during the time of Soviet occupation.

The question... why would a puppet Soviet state purchase things from a country allied against the Soviet Union?  Especially one that was Fascist until the 1970s and beat Soviet backed forces in its Civil War?  The funds for the helmets came from the Soviet Union, so that makes no sense

What makes more sense is the Soviets took some of the millions and millions of German helmets they probably still had lying around and shipped a few thousand to Afghanistan with cheap replacement liners.

Of course, I could be wrong.  Just because what I say is logical doesn't make it true   But generally the most obvious answer is the correct one.

Steve

The air vent doesnt look Spanish Im afraid.