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German helmet colours

Rrickoshae

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I was given a mint German helmet by its liberator back in the late 50s. Having seen loads of war films (black and white) I knew that german helmets were black so repainted it black!! (That I was very young at the time is my excuse!). I now want to return it to something like its correct colour but can't remember what it was. I think its a 40 pattern. Would it have been field grey or green and would it have had a red oxide undercoat? Are there any accurate model paints I can use rather than mixing my own? Many thanks for any info that you experts can provide! Actually I feel better now, its true that confession is good for the soul! Dave
 
Hello dave ,from what i researched when doing my helmet i found that no undercoat was used.i used Field Grey paint available in sprays from http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/reenactors/index.asp just put "paint" in the search box on this site..once scratched and dirtied it looks spot on,the attatched photos do not really do this helmet justice ,it looks more weathered/aged in reality
 

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Try this first

If you repainted over the original paint, then wipe some paint remover on it, then as soon as you see any reaction wipe it off quickly (do not let it sit-put it on and watch). There is a chance your new paint will come off first and the original will still be there.
 
Depending on what kind of paint has been used to paint it over you may use acetone or thinner in a rag and rub the paint on a small area at a time.
 
sorry Reino, when I painted it I first scraped off all the original paint! (how I have regretted it since!) Strangely, it had a swastika painted on the front - not a transfer. Perhaps it had been captured early in the war and used in training excercises as I have seen home guard training films with helmets painted the same way. Sadly jack has passed away so I can't ask him where it came from. Dave
 
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