Original German WWII M42 Service Worn Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet with Partial Liner – ET62 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original service worn example of a Model 1942 German WWII helmet, with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains about 75% of the original Luftwaffe Blue-Gray paint. There is overall wear as well as areas completely missing paint, which now shows the oxidized steel shell. This was definitely a helmet that saw use during the war, with a lovely patina of age. The decal is retained at around 60%, with a very a great look. If you were looking for a nice service worn helmet for your collection, this is it!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is very faintly batch number 17??, and above the left ear it has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET62. This indicates it was manufactured by Eisenhuttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany in size 62. Size 62 is a nice smaller size that can accommodate liners from 54cm to 55cm or US ;6 3/4 to 6 5/8.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, though they have lost their paint and oxidized. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner, however the leather is definitely deteriorated due to age and sweat. The top tie is still intact, but almost all of the fingers have broken off, and the leather is crumbling. The mid war issue galvanized steel liner band is unfortunately quite tight to the shell, so we are not able to see the size and maker information..

Overall a nice condition genuine Service Worn M42 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.