Original German WWII M42 Helmet with Textured Summer Camouflage Paint and Remnants of Winter Whitewash- Complete with Liner and Chinstrap Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a nice unique example of an original late war German WWII Model 42 Steel helmet complete with original liner, chinstrap, and layered camouflage paint. This is a very nice example of the M42 helmet, with  remnants of spring/summer Green/Tan/Brown Camouflage scheme, and Winter Whitewash Camouflage. This helmet plainly illustrates how the German Landser would change the outward paint schemes of the helmet depending upon the change of season.

It is difficult to ascertain the size of the shell, as the markings are obfuscated by the layers of period paint which has been applied. We did measure it, and she shell measures about 65cm on the outside, so it is a 64cm shell. Size 64 is a nice medium large size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 ⅛.

All three original liner retaining pins are intact, and the interior of the helmet still has an original good M31 leather liner with all eight fingers, even the original braided liner tie is complete! The liner is marked “57” ink stamped into one of the tongues of the liner. The mid war issue galvanized steel liner band is marked on the left outer side with 64 n.A. / 57, indicating that the liner is a size 57, intended for a 64 shell. It is also maker marked and dated on the other side:

Metallwarenfabrik
1942
F.W.M.

This indicates 1942 production by F.W. Müller Jr. in Berlin, which fits right into the period. The original chinstrap is intact and unbroken, however the excess on the end of the chinstrap was trimmed down, which was a common practice at the time.

Overall a very nice late-war M42 Heer Army Camouflage helmet with battle damage, completely correct! M42 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

The Stahlhelm:
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.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.