Overview
- Brief Narrative
- German Luftwaffe M1942 helmet brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army. Cohen took this helmet from a fifteen year old German soldier who had tried to shoot him. The helmet was made by a hot stamping steel process and this style was mass produced until late 1944-early 1945 when the factory was overrun by Allied troops. The Reichsadler [Imperial eagle] decal was discontinued ca. 1943 as an efficiency measure and to improve concealment in the field. Cohen was in combat with the Third Army from fall 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
- Date
-
found:
1945
manufacture: 1942 August 01-before 1944
- Geography
-
found:
Germany
manufacture: Germany
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Estelle Cohen
- Markings
- interior, leather liner panel, stamped within circle, black ink : 56
interior, left apron, engraved : NS64
interior, back apron, engraved : 1670 - Contributor
-
Subject:
Bernard B. Cohen
Issuer: Germany. Luftwaffe
- Biography
-
Bernard Baruch Cohen was born on June 22, 1920, in Philadelphia, PA, to Simon and Sarah Cohen. His Yiddish speaking parents had immigrated to the United States from Imperial Russia. Bernard was the second of four children. After completing high school, he worked in a restaurant, and then at Sam Gerson’s apparel shop. In 1941, he married Estelle Elias (1922-2008.).
In December 1941, the United States entered World War II (1939-1945.) Bernard enlisted in the US Army, Warrant Officers Branch, on February 11, 1943, and entered active service on February 18, He served with the Third Army under General Patton in combat across Europe from late October 1944 - mid-July 1945. Bernard was honorably discharged from the military on November 1, 1945. He returned to Philadelphia. Bernard and Estelle had a son and a daughter. They owned and operated two maternity and baby shops, Dorebel's Maternity and Baby Shops in South Philadelphia and Mayfair. They were members of Adath Shalom synagogue and active in the wider Jewish community. Bernard, 63, passed away on August 23, 1983, in Philadelphia. In 1986, Estelle received the Israel Freedom Award from the State of Israel Women's Division. Estelle, 86, passed away on August 26, 2008.
Physical Details
- Classification
-
Dress Accessories
- Category
-
Headgear
- Object Type
-
Helmets (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Uniforms
- Physical Description
- Domed, textured, pressed, gray painted molybdenum steel helmet with a short front visor, flared neck apron, and a pressed ventilation hole on each side. Near the bottom, 3 rivets attach an interior, 2nd pattern, zinc, M1931 style support band to which is nailed a light brown leather liner made of 8 overlapping, tapered fingers with ventilation holes. The inner cap is adjusted by a brown drawstring cord threaded throw the liner tips. The dark brown leather chinstrap is looped through D rings attached to metal strips on the support band. The short left strap has a prong buckle and the long right strap has 12 punched holes. There is a lacquered ink decal on the left side: a 2nd pattern, discolored white and black Luftwaffe eagle, diving with outstretched wings. The apron interior is scratched and has stamped maker's marks.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 6.125 inches (15.557 cm) | Width: 9.625 inches (24.448 cm) | Depth: 11.500 inches (29.21 cm)
- Materials
- overall : steel, zinc, leather, paint, metal, cord, ink
- Inscription
- interior, leather liner panel, handwritten, black ink : EK.
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The helmet was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1985 by Estelle Cohen, the wife of Bernard B. Cohen.
- Funding Note
- The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-01-12 15:04:58
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn10
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Also in Bernard B. Cohen collection
The collection consists of German military uniform clothing and accessories: dress jacket, four hats, helmet, two canteens, belt, and nine shoulder boards relating to the experiences of Bernard B. Cohen, as a soldier in the United States Third Army, European Theater of Operations, during World War II.
Date: 1945
German military red painted canteen in pouch with strap acquired by US soldier
Object
German military field canteen, painted red, in a fitted wool pouch with a leather carrying strap brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe during the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
German military canteen with leather strap acquired by US soldier
Object
German military aluminum field canteen with leather carrying strap brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe during the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Wehrmacht M1936 belt and embossed buckle acquired by US soldier
Object
Wehrmacht [German Armed Forces] M1936 belt with concealed tongue and removable buckle brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from fall 1944- through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe flak artillery shoulder strap with red piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe flak artillery uniform shoulder board with red piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from fall 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe flak artillery shouder strap with red piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe flak artillery uniform shoulderboard with red piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from fall 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe flak artillery shoulder strap with red piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe flak artillery uniform shoulder board with red piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from fall 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe flak artillery shoulder strap with red piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe flak artillery uniform shoulder board with red piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from fall 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe KRS shoulder board with gold piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe officer's Kraftfahrschule [KRS, Motor Transport School] shoulder strap with gold piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army. The shoulder board appears to have been cut off a German uniform. Cohen was in combat with the Third Army from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe KRS shoulder board with gold piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe officer's Kraftfahrschule [KRS, Motor Transport School] shoulder strap with gold piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army. The shoulder board appears to have been cut off a German uniform. Cohen was in combat with the Third Army from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe KRS shoulder board with gold piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe officer's Kraftfahrschule [KRS, Motor Transport School] shoulder strap with gold piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army. The shoulder board appears to have been cut off a German uniform. Cohen was in combat with the Third Army from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe KRS shoulder board with gold piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe officer's Kraftfahrschule [KRS, Motor Transport School] shoulder strap with gold piping brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army. The shoulder board appears to have been cut off a German uniform. Cohen was in combat with the Third Army from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe KRS shoulder board with gold piping acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe officer's Kraftfahrschule [Motor Transport School] shoulder board brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe ground crew overseas cap with eagle acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe ground crew overseas or garrison cap with a 1st pattern Luftwaffe eagle patch brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a American soldier. This patch, with the drop tailed, spread winged eagle in right profle clutching a swastila in 1 talon, was produced ca. 1935-1937; the hat ca. 1938. Bernard was with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe ground crew overseas cap with eagle acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe ground crew overseas or garrison cap with a 1st pattern Luftwaffe eagle patch brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a American soldier. This patch, with the drop tailed, spread winged eagle in right profle clutching a swastila in 1 talon, was produced ca. 1935-1937; the hat ca. 1938. Bernard was with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe M1935 Schirmmutze with visor acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe [German Air Force] M1935 Schirmmutze with visor brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe M1935 Schirmmutze without visor acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe [German Air Force] M1935 Schirmmutze without a visor brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
Luftwaffe Waffenrock dress uniform jacket acquired by US soldier
Object
Luftwaffe Waffenrock dress uniform jacket with gold piping, shoulder boards, and gorgets brought back from the war by Bernard B. Cohen, a soldier with the United States Third Army as it fought its way across Europe from the fall of 1944 through the end of the war in May 1945.
