Original German WWII Luftwaffe M35 Overlay Decal Helmet – Marked SE62 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a nice all original example of a Model 1935 German WW2 “overlay decal” helmet with a Luftwaffe Eagle decal on the left side, which was placed over a repainted Heer Army helmet which had an army decal. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains around 85% of the original Luftwaffe gray-blue paint and is in good condition overall. This is a helmet with a long service history, just like we like to see them.

The Luftwaffe decal is retained at approximately 70%. All three original liner retaining pins are intact, each with original paint still intact.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped, 4252 and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, SE62 indicating that indicating it was manufactured by Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke A.G. of Germany in size 62

The helmet still has its correct good condition M31 liner with all of the 8 fingers intact, it is dark brown from wear,. It is ink stamped with size in centimeters as 55. The liner still has its original leather size adjustment string. The liner band is aluminum, correct for a helmet of this vintage.

Overall a very nice totally correct 100% genuine overlay decal Luftwaffe helmet, ready to display!

The first “modern” steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, (“Gaede” helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, (Iron and Foundry Works), in the spring of 1916.

These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage through-out the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

The Luftwaffe pattern national eagle was originally introduced for wear by Fliegerschaft, (Pilot Base), personnel of the DLV, Deutscher Luftsportsverband, (German Air Sports Association), the clandestine, civilian, forerunner of the Luftwaffe on August 18TH 1934, and adopted for wear by the Luftwaffe on March 1ST 1935 along with the national tri-color shield for wear on the helmet.

The first pattern national eagle was utilized until a modified second pattern eagle was introduced in late 1936 or early 1937. Regulations of June 12TH 1940 discontinued the use of the national tri-color decal and further regulations of August 28TH 1943 abolished the national eagle decal and dictated that it was also to be removed from all helmets although the directives were not completely adhered to.