Original German WWII Double Decal NSDAP Combat Police M35 Helmet With Liner & Chinstrap – marked ET64 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This fantastic double decal Police helmet is a great example of a prewar M35 helmet that was used in WWII. Polizei helmets like this were used by civil police as well as by paramilitary police forces who were deployed as combatants during the war. It retains its original early war dark green paint, and has the Double Decals of the NSDAP Civic Police!

This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains much of its original paint but does show wear and use, especially on the top, so the paint is probably in the 70-80% range. The helmet features genuine double decals of the NSDAP civic eagle on the left side and the swas on a red shield on the right. The Civic eagle is retained at around 85%, with some small chips and checking, while the shield is closer to 80% with more scratches to the decal.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped 4395, and on the left it has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET64. This indicates it was manufactured by Eisenhuttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany in size 64. This is a nice medium 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.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, with exterior paint still partly present. The helmet still has its correct very good condition M31 liner with all of the 8 fingers present and supple. The liner also still has its original size adjustment string, and overall there is only moderate wear to the liner, mostly around the edge, though the leather has darkened in color. The liner band is aluminum, with square aluminum chin strap loops attached to reinforced sides. This is the last pattern before the move to galvanized steel bands. The left exterior of the liner band is marked 64 n.A / 56, indicating that it is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. It is stamped 56 in a circle on one of the fingers as well. It is also maker marked and dated on the other side:

SCHUBERTH – WERK K.-G.
D.R.P.
1939
BRAUNSCHWEIG

The chinstrap is present and in good condition, with the expected age related deterioration. It has the correct early war aluminum attachment studs, which are both still present, however the buckle itself is steel, so it may have been replaced at some point. The long portion of the chinstrap has had a portion tear off, and is in somewhat delicate condition.

Overall a very nice 100% genuine rare M35 Double Decal NSDAP Civic Police Combat helmet! M35 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 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.