Original German WWII M40 Named Service Worn Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet with 56cm Liner – hkp64 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good all original named example of a Model 1940 German WWII helmet, as issued to the Luftwaffe (Airforce). It bears a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal and is fitted with a size 56cm liner. It shows service wear in the form of oxidation and paint chipping, so it most likely saw service for a long period in a damp environment. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains 50% of its original lightly textured “panzergrau” paint. The left side of the helmet features a worn Luftwaffe eagle decal, which is retained about 60%. There are areas of rust speckling on many areas of the shell, inside and out. 

Above the left ear interior of the apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size hkp64, indicating it was manufactured by Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke A.G., Germany. It is also marked with lot number 1231 on the underside of the rear skirt. Towards the end of the war, the SE marking was discontinued in favor of three letter code “hkp”, and later this was moved to the rear skirt. Size 64 is a nice smaller size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector. There also looks to be the name Böhme written in white paint, though it is partly worn away.

All three original liner retaining pins are intact and have most of the original paint on the tops. The interior of the helmet still has its original leather liner with all 8 fingers intact as well as the top tie string. The leather is quite dark, showing significant wear, but is still mostly soft. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 64 n.A / 56, indicating that this is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. There is maker information on the right side, but the band is very close to the shell, and we cannot make out what it says. There are remnants of the original chin strap attached to the loops, but they are in very delicate condition.

Overall an very nice condition genuine service worn M40 Single Decal Luftwaffe helmet! This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

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.

In 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet’s shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet’s safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army’s Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.