Norwegian Volunteer Helmets

Combat Helmets of Norwegian Volunteers

While the volunteers of Division “Wiking” received standard German SS helmets, it is believed that the Norwegian Legionnaires of DNL at some stage must have been intended to be set up with Norwegian uniforms and helmets. Most likely the Norwegian manufactured M31 helmet. This can be seen in all the initial propaganda and recruitment material which clearly depicts the Norwegian soldiers wearing the M31 helmet.

In addition to the fact that the M31 helmet already was ancient in 1941, there were also not enough to supply the anticipated number needed for the “new Norwegian army”. It was originally produced on license from Sweden and almost an exact copy of the Swedish M26 model. When Den Norske Legion was set up, they had no helmets issued, and proceeded with their training in Norway and Germany without any steel helmets. The M31 helmet was during the war eventually only used inside Norway for the NS Police, Quislings Bodyguard and Civil Defense.

After reaching the front, the soldiers had much more important issues to worry about, and eventually the SS runes were accepted by most. Helmets issued to new recruits and replacement helmets would be left with the SS decals intact. Pictures from the front as well as parades later in the Legions existence shows this.

Norwegian volunteers that joined other units, such as Regiment Norge and Division Wiking later in the war after DnL had been disbanded also often removed the decals. But this is believed to have been for camouflage purposes more so than a political protest. Late in the war, it was also common to find Norwegian volunteers issued with undecaled M42 helmets.

A wide variety of camouflage helmets were used by Norwegian volunteers. DNL was very early issued with camouflage smocks and helmet covers. Above is a camouflage helmet cover found in Norway at the end of the war, which is identical to those issued to many Norwegian volunteers. But other means of camouflage was also widely used. Period photographs shows that the thick Russian mud proved itself to give a good camouflage effect. Also, field made white helmet covers were in use.

In addition to SS helmets, some Norwegian volunteers were also set up with double decal police helmets. 1st Police Company of Frw. Leg Norwegen, led by the infamous Sturmbannfuhrer Jonas Lie, was set up with a combination of SS and Police helmets. Below right is Lie greeting a Norwegian volunteer wearing a similar helmet to the one above.

In addition, several photographs shows Norwegian SS volunteers wearing combat helmets with Heer decals. The picture below left shows a member of 1. Police Company wearing a Heer helmet with his SS uniform.

Norwegian volunteer helmets can usually be recognized by a Norwegian name, rank or feltpost number written into the liner of the helmet. Luckily, many records of Norwegian volunteers still exist, and the names are relatively easy to research.

Norwegian volunteer with white cloth camouflage cover

Bjørn Østring here seen with a helmet camouflaged with mud.

In December 1941 after being moved to Germany for further training, just prior to receiving their orders to be implemented into the SS, the unit received German M35 and M40 helmets bearing the single SS runes decal on one side. At this stage it became evident to the soldiers as well as their commanding officers that they had been “hijacked” by the Germans. Major Qvist gave immediate orders to his units to remove the SS runes from the helmets. This order was followed by everyone, and they filed the decals off down to the bare metal. Therefore, Norwegian volunteer helmets of the M35 and M40 type with removed SS runes could very likely be from this initial batch of helmets issued.