Original Netherlands WWII Dutch M23/27 Steel Helmet With Badge and Original Paint
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original pre WWII Dutch M23/27 or M28 Dutch military steel helmet with original inlaid copper shield, which depicts the Dutch Republic Lion or the Coat of Arms of Netherlands. It still has much of the original green paint on the exterior, so it was not repainted during the German occupation or post war, something that is rare to see. The Dutch had a very small army in the 1920's and thus only produced very small numbers of these helmets. Estimates are that around 105,000 of all variants were made. The M23 designation indicates the design date of 1923, and the "27" signifies the date of adoption, 1927. They are sometimes also referred to as the M28 "Nieuw Model" .
The helmet is very salty with a retained liner and chinstrap, though the liner has moderate tearing and stiffness. Two of the liner pads have material loss and heavy tearing. There is moderate paint loss to the exterior but it’s really got a fantastic patina.
The Netherlands remained neutral during the opening months of WWII, but German forces invaded on May 10, 1940 as part of the western offensive. Following several days of fighting and the bombing of Rotterdam on May 14, Dutch forces capitulated on May 15, 1940. Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch government evacuated to London, where they continued to function as the government in exile, while Princess Juliana and her children later took refuge in Canada.
Dutch Model 1927 helmets were therefore the characteristic steel combat helmet of the Netherlands Army during the German invasion of May 1940. Surviving examples were subsequently discarded, repurposed, or altered during and after the occupation, making helmets that retain substantial original green finish, front insignia, liner, and chinstrap particularly desirable today.
The combination of the original copper Dutch lion plate, surviving green military paint, retained liner and chinstrap, and heavily service-worn untouched appearance makes this an excellent representative example of Dutch Army headgear from the opening campaign in Western Europe during WWII. The liner damage, stiffness, exterior paint loss, and oxidation are the principal condition issues, while the surviving original components give the helmet considerable historical character.
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