Here some pictures of helmets I have, and would like to have more info on. The first is a helmet my late father stole during the war from a german soldier (in occupied Holland) so he sort of started my collection! There was a French one too, but that was lost somewhere along the line. Have been searching high and low for the name, the number, even been to the Merville cemetry, but absolutely nothing! Maybe someone here can shed some light on this helmet? The number scratched inside is very unclear, but looks like 441951 the name is scratched in there 3 times, L. Cain, but cannot find that name on the roll of honor? so maybe the helmet didn't belong to the person buried there?? assume the helmet came from a temporary grave, the date of burial could be that of the Norfolk massacre, which was just south of Merville. Have found this snippet, but the number is totally different!: JOHN LING AND THE BOOK OF BERGH APTON John Ling found the B&C site while researching for the ‘Book of Bergh Apton’ in which he is writing a section that covers the 25 men of the village who fell in the World Wars, most of whom were in the Regiment. 'One of them was 5773757 Pte Len Cain of D Company, 7 Royal Norfolk, who died on the same day David Jamieson won his VC. I have just found your website on which I read your account of the action with interest and would be very grateful if I might quote from it to round off the paragraph on Len Cain: ...... describes the action and concludes with the words ‘their heavy losses caused the Germans to withdraw. By evening, when 12 SS Panzer Division finally gave up, the Coy (Company) position was largely intact, ringed with German dead and burnt-out tanks’. Naturally, permission was granted. We look forward to receiving cost and source contact details of the book. Hope to solve this one day! Alex Schmidt ps, more helmets will follow!
The service number, according to the link here was allocated to Dragoon Guards. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/8564-army-number-block-allocations.html There was plenty of action around Merville on 27th May. I'm not clear if this sequence was used by 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards as well as 4th / 7th DG I don't think that the lettering on the helmet is from an English hand, it looks distinctly Continental and probably therefore not indicative of a burial. I'd suspect that it was simply added by the finder as a souvenir. It may have been lost by the original wearer or he could have been captured. It might be worth asking on here if he can be found on POW records. Rich
Thanks Rich, I had never looked at it that way! but didn't the locals maybe painted the helmets?? is there any other pictures of burial helmets? Will look into it again. Lex
Then the last one, (4th) This I painted on myself, when looking at the IWM pictures, I saw this pattern emerging, some X Coy had this diamond pattern painted on their helmets, And then there's the circle: Was this from Y or Z Coy??? Is there any info on these markings? Please let me know, Lex Schmidt
Hi I can shed a fair bit of light on Leonard Walter Cain. I wanted to also ask if I can buy the helmet of Leonard Cain. Hes family. His dad was walter cain born in everton, liverpool in 1899 and died in 1986 in norfolk. Leonard has a brother called Ronald Cain Kind Regards Ian Cain
Leonard Walter George Cain's service number was 5773757, the number scratched inside the helmet is totally different.
Might be stating the obvious but the second helmet has the 5Oth Division TT red on black sign . Craig
