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Helmet on First Sweep

Writer's picture: InkaInka

muddy gloves on the ground

It was nasty looking weather when I peeked out the window. Wind and rain. Lots of rain. I had gotten up late, with just an hour or two before lunchtime. I tried to get some work done on a diorama but I couldn`t concentrate. I looked out the window again. The forest was calling me. But, the rain... It shifted gear it looked like, 100 more liter pr second. After torturing myself with "should or should not" for an hour more I got into my digger clothes and drove to the gebirgsjäger camp.


It was a wise move. Here it was just a light rain, and quite warm. I was going to begin searching where I left off last time, so when I got close to the site I turned on the Fisher F5 and made a sweep with it. Great signal!

The signal was deep and next to a pine tree so I had to cut my way through some roots to discover a layer of rocks. "Thar be dumping pit waters, yarrr!" I thought in a piratey voice as I piled up the rocks behind the tree.


After a while I had cleared away enough so I could see the metal. It could be two things. A squashed bucket, or a helmet!! Some more sweat had to be put in it before it was possible to pull it up to the surface.

It was a nice helmet! With lots of color showing and a decal too!! The liner had been ripped out and is maybe laying around somewhere near. The last find on the previous trip was a helmet and today the first find! What a crazy time we are living in! :D


In front of me I saw a couple of holes in the ground and they all had signals in them so I spent the next few hours checking them out. It wasn`t too much in them, but some bottles and a whole lot of Göffels. Too bad they were all made of steel so they were all rotted.


The next pit had some bakelite. Four "cups" for fuzes, but none of their lids could be found.

Around in the forest it was also a lot of signals, but it were mostly bolts, nails, wires and rubbish. I did find a small pile of signal flares and a strange trench-art thing. Something to hang keys or towels on maybe.


Two of the signals were of a bit more scary nature. First I found a 1kg pioneer slab, a Sprengbüchse 24. The second was a big surprise, a magnetic antitank charge, a "Hafthohlladung". So I guess EOD will have fun later :D


I kept at if for an hour more but as I didn`t find anything else, the blackflies were feasting on me, I was soaked and it started raining I began moving to the car. As I was about to drive home the landowner came by and we had a chat where he gave me a tip about a place where it could be some rust. Hopefully I will find something there :)


Now it is time to dry up a bit :)


bucket or helmet under the tree
At this point I was about 10% sure it was a bucket..
nice german helmet dug out
100% sure I had just dug up helmet number four this season. I am so glad it wasnt a bucket.
sandy helmet
Tree sap had dripped down on the helmet before nature covered it up.


half buried brown bottle

triangular barrack stove rusting in the forest
Barrack stove.
square green box
1kg pioneer slab.
bottles and four bakelite cups
A few goodies from a trash pit.
key hanger made from bent wires
Trench-art key hanger.
signal flare casings
Signal flares.
coneshaped anti tank mine
Hafthohlladung.
wet boots



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