Unfortunally, some dodo's out there are copying pictures from this blog and using them to sell fake helmets and decals on the internet.
I absolutly do not apreciate this and therefor i am starting to dismantle this blog and i am building a proper site. visit my new site at:
http://www.dutchhelmets.nl

Introducing myself.

Hi there!
I am from the Netherlands and i am a collector of dutch helmets used by the armed forces and other dutch govermental organisations since 1916.
This site shows a part of my dutch helmets collection.
At the moment i have over 120 Dutch helmets in my collection and i am still looking for certain models.
Where possible i added some background information about the helmet type and some information about the helmet in my collection.
There could be some incorrect information, because there is still little known about certain helmet models used by the Dutch. If so, please leave a message so that i can do some research on the information.

I would also like to recomend the best book on Dutch helmets at the moment:

De Nederlandse stalen helm 1916-1946(ISBN 90 6707 613 9) by drs. Kevin de Joode.

This book comes in a Dutch and English version. To order just klik on the link below.

http://www.bataafscheleeuw.nl/

Absolutly a must have for Dutch helmet collecting!!!!!!

By going through the menu on the right you will be able to select the item you wold like to see.

The last 2 pages have a number of links to other sites concerning helmet collections and information and helmets i have to sale or change plus some wanted helmets for my collection.

If you have any questions, information and/or recomendations, please send them to:

dutchhelmets@hotmail.com

I actually do have a job beside helmet collecting so it could take some time before i respond. But i will try to respond as soon as possible.

I would like to thank all the militaria and helmet collectors that helped me get information on helmets and even helped me find certain models. Thanks!

Thank you for visiting my site and enjoy!!!!!!

Rabintex RBH 303AU

A Dutch SF operator wearing a "modified" Rabintex RBH 303AU helmet on a Poster.

The Rabintex RBH 303AU helmet is used only by the Dutch special forces operators since 2005 and has replaced the m95.
The Rabintex helmets used by the Dutch SF are painted in the typical coyote tan colour.
This helmet was used in south Afghanistan by a Dutch SF operator in 2005.
This helmet is, unfortunaly, not in my collection.

m95, Army, Air Force, Military Police

Dutch infantry on exercises wearing the m95 helmet.

The m95 is the standerd helmet for the dutch armed forces.
This helmet is also known as the "schuberth" model or B826.
The first helmets that enterd service in 1992/1993 were all painted in the blue UN colour and produced by the Schuberth Helme GmbH in germany. These helmets were only issued to the troops that went to Bosnia and later to Haiti.
In 1995 it became the new standerd helmet, replacing the m53 model, and in 1996/1997 they were issued to the armed forces.
These helmets are paintedin olive green and produced under licence by Induyco SA in Spain.
The marines were also issued this type of helmet but with another type of snap fastener(on the right side), one which can be locked, making para jumping possible without losing the helmet.
There are 8 types of helmet covers for this helmet used by the dutch armed forces:
-Woodland: standerd army, military police, air force
-Forrest: standerd marines, navy
-Jungle: army, military police, air force
-Dessert: armed forces
-Black: special forces, counter terrorisme
-White: EU monitoring and artic operations
-Blue: UN operations
-Dark blue: military police
There are 5 sizes used by the dutch army for the m95:
-XS /51-52
-S /53-55
-M /56-58
-L /59-60
-XL/61-63

m95, Marines

The m95 used by the Dutch Marines differs only as it has a lock fitted to the quick release, making para jumping possible without losing the helmet.

m95, woodland

Dutch Nationale Reserve wearing the m95 with woodland cover.

This helmet went to Bosnia in 1998 (SFOR4) and to Kosovo in 1999/2000 (KFOR2).
It has the standerd dutch woodland patern helmet cover with the typical elastic bands.
These elastic bands are sometimes removed by the soldiers in the field.

m95, desert with 2nd model balistic gogles

A Dutch soldier in Irak wearing the m95 with desert cover and 2nd model balistic gogles.

This helmet was used in Irak, at dutch base Ar Rumaytha, in 2004 during the dutch SFIR3 mission.
It has the standerd 3-tone dessert patern and the 2nd model balistic protective gogles.

m95, forest

This type of helmet cover has been issued to the dutch marines.
The camoflage patern is called forest by the dutch armed forces and it is simular to the US BDU patern.
The marines first used US style of helmet covers until they were isued the woodland patern as an interim solution.
The dutch marines and navy use this patern as their standerd camoflage for their uniforms unlike the army, military police and air force that uses the woodland patern.
This helmet is not the marines type but army type.

m95, Special Forces black cover

This is the black helmet cover in use by the dutch special forces for counter terrorisme operations.
This type of helmet cover does not have the typical elastic bands.
The cloth loop on the rear is for securing gogles.

m95, white cover

m95, UN helmet cover

The first m95 helmets isued were painted blue for UN missions in Bosnia, Haiti and Cambodia.
After the issue of the new green m95, this helmet cover was designed for UN operations.
The helmet cover has a cloth loop on the back for securing gogles.

m95, IFOR model with 1st model ballistic gogles

Dutch Air Mobile Infantry troops wearing the Indyco m95 with m53 cover in 1996.

This helmet was used in Bosnia on the first dutch IFOR tour at the beginning of 1996.
The helmet is the blue UN version but painted in dark green by it's former user. Green tape was sometimes also used.
This was done because the m53 helmet cover, still in general use by then, didn't cover the blue colour very wel.

m95, UN model with large rivets

The blue UN helmet was used by the dutch armed forces from 1993/1994 until 1996 as an interim solution until the m95 was officialy introduced
This helmet was used by a dutch marine in 1995 in Haïti, during operation UNMIH.
The helmet cover, early type, is an american helmet cover and was only used for a short period.
The Marines eventualy also got the new green model, but with a different snap fastener, and used the army style helmet cover for some years.
Eventualy the forrest type of helmet cover was issued.

m95, used in Afghanistan

During the tours in Uruzgan, Afghanistan, many m95 helmets are being re-painted by there users.
The left(light brown colour) helmet was used during Battle Group 4(summer 2007) in the Tarin Kowt area and the right(dark brown/green colour) helmet was used during Battle Group 5(winter 2007/2008), also in the Tarin Kowt area. This helmet was modified by it former user. It has a mounting screwd to the front for mounting Night Vision Goggles and Velcro for ataching IR patches.
A nice example showing the differences in colour used by the Infantry soldiers for the winter and summer tours.

mkVI, Marines, North-Irak 1991

This helmet was used by a Dutch Marine corporal (P.W.) during the mission in Northern Irak in 1991 after desert storm. These helmets were issued as a trial in theatre. After the mission the Marines were allowed to keep the helmets and that is the reason why these helmets were unofficial used until replaced for the m95 helmet.

m53

Dutch troops wearing the m53 helmet during exercises. This picture was taken at the end of the 1970's.

The m53 went into service in 1953 as the official helmet for the Dutch army.
It is very simular to the US made m1 helmet.
It replaced the mkII, mkIII and m1's that were in general use in the Dutch armed forces. These helmets were left overs from WW2.
Some WW2 m1 liners were used at the beginning for the m53.
The m53 helmet is painted in a dark green colour. In 1988 a batch of VDN helmets were deliverd in a bronsgreen colour. This became the standard colour for the m95 helmet.
m53 helmets are always swivel bales and have a rear seam. The chinstrap fastener is of an arrowhead quick release model.
The Verblifa m53 was also sold to Luxembourg.

There are 2 types of liners:
- fiber, 1950's/1960's and leftovers from WW2. WW2 liners were sometimes redone with Dutch post-war webbing.
- thermoplastic, introduced in the beginning of the 1970's and from 1974 without the front venthole.

The helmets and liners were made by:
- VERBLIFA, marked VB (Dutch)
- Linnemann-Schnetzer, marked LS (German)
- Shuberth, marked SH, SW or a capital N in a circle (German)
- Vereinigte Deutsche Nickelwerke, marked VDN (German)
- Heinrich Ulbricht's Witwe, marked U's or U SCH (Austrian)
- and some unknown markings to me: HL, EC NL and BEC (has anyone got some information about these markings???)
There was also a delivery of m53 steel pots somewhere in the 1960's without any markings.

There are 4 types of helmet covers that went into service in 1991:
- woodland
- dessert
- jungle
- UN blue
During the 1970's/1980's scrim was used for camouflaging the helmets and from the mid 1980's a US woodland type cover was used in smal numbers. These covers are unmarked.

During the UNIFIL and first UNPROFOR mission the helmets and liners were painted UN blue, each with 3 stickers placed. The UN front sticker on the UNIFIL model are bigger that that on the UNPROFOR model.

This helmet is stamped VB 1954 and is a second year production of the dutch m53. The liner is stamped VB 1953 4 and is a first year production by VERBLIFA. VERBLIFA liners are very rare and difficult to get.

m53, Steel shell stamps and details

M53 shell's are always stamped on the inside of the helmet. First series production by Verblifa was stamped with white ink on the inner crown. The same year Verblifa started stamping on the rim. At first at the rear, from 1955 on the front inner side. Somewhere in the 60's there was a batch that wasn't stamped at all.

Verblifa, ink stamp on the crown, KL 1953 VB(first production Year). There are also examples of 1953 Verblifa shell's that are stamped on the rim, rear side. These helmets are of a later production.

Verblifa, rear side on the rim, VB 1954

Verblifa, front side rim, VB 55 9S3

Linnemann-Schnetzer, front side rim, LS 20-63B

Linnemann-Schnetzer, front side rim(up side down), LS 7 73

Vereinigte Deutsche Nickelwerke, front side rim, VDN 1/88. This helmet is dark geen, but there are also VDN 1/88 helmets in bronsgreen.

Heinrich Ulbricht's Witwe, front side rim, Lot 8 91 U's

Controle stamps ICW 637(Intendance Centrale Werkplaats) used in the 60's. This was done to check if the shell wouldn't crack. There are always 4 stamps, all to the middle and mid-rear side of the helmet. These stamps can also be white.


"Goedgekeurd"(aproved) stamp used in the 50's. This stamp is on a air Force shell. These stamps kan also be found on liners and in white ink. They are also seen on the Dutch Verblifa mkII helmets.

Swivel bale(outside) and chinstrap atachment made of brass(both sides identical).

swivel bale(inside). m53 helmets always have a swivel bale identical to ww2 m1's.

Chinstrap buckel made of brass.

Chinstrap arrowhead quick release hook made of brass

Dutch quick release system.

Endkeeper(outside) made of brass

Endkeeper(inside) made of brass.

m53, Liner stamps and details

Verblifa, fibre, VB 1953 3

Shuberth, fibre 1960's(1)

Shuberth, fibre, 1960's(2)

Shuberth, thermoplastic, mis-stamped, SW 72

Shuberth, Thermoplastic, SH 88

Heinrich Ulbricht's Witwe, thermoplastic, U's 91

Heinrich Ulbricht's Witwe, thermoplastic, U's 93

Unknown(BEC), thermoplastic, BEC 87

Unknown(ECNL), thermoplastic, EC NL 78

Unknown(HL), thermoplastik, H.L. 80

3 different liners: left is a Fibre liner(these always have a vent hole), middle is a thermoplastic with venthole(until the mid 1970's) and right is a thermoplasticwithout the venthole.

Fibre liner with venthole and spannerbolt rivet. Fibre liners always have spannerbolt rivets.

Thermoplastic liner with venthole. Look at the different rivets between the fibre and thermoplastic liners.

Fibre liner neckband. A-washers are screwd.

Thermoplastic liner neckband with 2 steel fittings. A-washers cannot be removed.

m53, un-issued

This m53 helmet was never issued. It still has the original paper wrapping from the factory.

m53, bronsgreen, late 80's

This helmet is one from, what it seems, the last delivery by VDN to the Dutch army at the end of the 1980's. These helmets are painted in a light bronsgreen colour. This eventually became the standard colour for the m95 helmet, instead of the usual dark green colour.

Shuberth deliverd helmets up to 1991 in the typical dark green colour.

Why these VDN helmets were delivered in a bronsgreen colour is a mistery to me.

This helmet is marked: VDN 3/88

m53, woodland, 1990's

This helmet cover was used by the dutch army from the beginning of the 1990's until 1997 for the m53.
It was also used for the m95 when it was first introduced as an interim solution. These helmet covers were sometimes modified by their former users to fit the m95 better.
This type of camoflage pattern is called "woodland" by the dutch armed forces.
The liner is stamped SH 88 and the helmet is stamped VDN 1/88.
The helmet cover was made by H.v.Puijenbroek in 1990.

m53, jungle cover, 1990's

m53, dessert, 1990's

The dutch army were the first to use the 3-tone patern at the beginning of the 1990's.
Eventualy the dessert helmet cover was only issued to troops, mostly 11 air assault brigade, that went to Saragossa, Spain for dessert training.
This helmet cover was made by Lonneker Textiles in 1992.
The liner is stamped SH 88 and the helmet is stamped LS 82 5.

m53, forrest, late 1980's

m53, 1970/1980's with scrim camoflage

During the 1970's/1980's scrim camoflage was used by the dutch soldiers.
The scrim was kaki brown and spray painted with dark green and dark brown.
A net was also used for placing natural foilage.
The black rubber band ware made from old tire tubes.
This helmet is stamped LS 87 2 and the liner is stamped SW 81.

m53, UN helmet cover

m53, UNPROFOR

This helmet was used at the beginning of the Dutch UNPROFOR mission in Bosnia.
The m53 only saw service for a very short period in Bosnia, from 1992 until 1993.
It was quickly replaced by the m95 (shuberth) model that gave much more protection to the head.
Both liner and helmet are painted in UN blue and each have 3 UN stickers atached.
The liner is stamped Us 91 and the helmet is stamped VDN 89/3

m53, UNIFIL

A Dutch soldier wearing the m53 in Libanon.

During the UNIFIL mission, the dutch army issued the m53 helmet painted in blue.
Both liner and helmet had this blue colour and UN stickers to the front and side.
This helmet went to Libanon in 1982/1983 and was customized by it's former user.
He aded an extra UN sticker and wrote his name "ED" to the front of the helmet.
It once fell into a wadi leaving the dents on top as a reminder.
The liner is marked EC NL 77 and the helmet is marked LS 3 73.

m53, Royal Military Police, black, 60-80's

m53, Royal Military Police, black, 50's

m53, Royal Military Police, green, 50's

This helmet was used by the royal military police in the 1950's.
The helmet is stamped: KL1953 VB
This is a first year production of the m53.
The liner is a WW2 liner made by westinghouse elec co.
The liner hase been painted white with a crouwned blue M, meaning "Marechaussee".

m53, Royal Military Police, Heinrich Ulbricht's Witwe liner, 90's

Dutch KMAR(Koninklijke Mareschaussee, Royal military Police) personel wearing the KMAR liners at the end of the 1970's.

m53, Royal Military Police, Verblifa fibre liner.

m53, Royal Netherlands Air Force

This is an early post WWII Dutch air Force helmet. The shell is stamped VB1954 and the fibre liner is unmarked. The shell has a black "goedgekeurd" stamp and the liner a white one.

m53, Royal Netherlands Air Force, liner standard guard

m53, Royal Netherlands Air Force, liner guards duty

The white air force m53 liner was used for guard duties at the main gate at the air force bases.

m53, Royal Netherlands Air Force, liner standard issue

m53, Marine Patrouille(Marine Patrol), liner

2 Dutch Marines from the Marine Patrouille wearing their helmets somewhere in the 60's.

Only liners were used by Marines attached to the Marine Patrouille. As far as known, the liners used were made by Firestone and Shuberth. This liner is unmarked but i suspect it to be a Shuberth liner.

m53, police 1980,s

m53, Rijkspolitie, 70's

m53, Gemeentepolitie 1950's until 1970's

m53, Verblifa, Firebrigade or Bescherming Bevolking(civil defence)

m42 (German) used by one of Anton Mussert's bodyguard

This helmet was used by one of Anton Mussert's bodyguards during the occupation of Holland. It is a German helmet model m42 painted in black with the wolfsangel on the right side.
This helmet is not in my collection.

links

here are some very good sites you would like to see!!!
Not all sites are dedicated to helmets.

http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/

http://www.gostak.demon.co.uk/helmets/helmets1.htm

http://combathelmets.blogspot.com/

http://hem.bredband.net/runmat/dictionary.html

http://www.nyc-techwriters.com/militaria/helmets.htm

http://nuke.combat-helmets.com/

http://www.world-war-helmets.com/

http://www.m-1helmet.com/

http://www.jmurrayinc1944.com/

http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/dating_m1.htm

http://www.ergensinnederland1939-1945.nl/pagina.wxp?menuid=1033

http://www.leger1939-1940.nl/

http://www.achterhoeksmuseum1940-1945.nl/

http://www.grebbeberg.nl/

http://www.waffen-ss.nl/

http://www.hetdepot.com/Index.html

http://gridcogames.com/HOI%20Stuff/military_music.htm

http://www.limburgsejagers.nl/