Original German WWII Battlefield Pickup M38 Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Paratrooper Helmet Original Items

Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a genuine “Battlefield Pickup” example of a German WWII M38 Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger (Paratrooper) Helmet. It was recovered some time after the war in in Europe, though unfortunately we do not know where it was found. The helmet had lain for some time undisturbed, and it was possibly dug up. It definitely has a lot of oxidation to the steel of the shell, as well as rust concretions consistent withy being buried for some time.

Amazingly, there still appears to be some of the original paint on the outside of the helmet, which prevented those areas from rusting. The interior does have some paint, but also a lot of surface rust, which has unfortunately removed the original markings close to the rim. We measured it, and it measures about 67cm around the liner holes, so it is probably a size 66, which would have fit a 56cm liner.

There are the remnants of a liner inside the shell, however we do not know if they are from this helmet, or another one. The aluminum liner band has intact rings that go around the attachment bolts, so there is really no way it could be from this helmet, as the bolts are rusted solid. There is also some of the leather from a paratrooper liner, as well as deteriorated foam rubber. These are loose inside the shell, as they no longer have anything holding them in place.

The exterior does not show any signs of having decals, but those were most likely painted over or removed. Many paratrooper helmets were never equipped with decals later in the war.

German Paratrooper helmets are highly desirable, and they are rare on the market in any condition. This battlefield pickup really IS a piece of history. This would be a great way to fill that missing spot in your German helmet collection. Ready to display!