Original Bulgarian WWII Anti-Air & Chemical Defense German-made M38 Beaded Gladiator Helmet Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a rare type of helmet that we have not seen before! During the WWII Period, German supplied much in the way of arms and equipment to its allies. Neutral at the onset of WWII, Bulgaria joined Germany by declaring war on Britain and the United States on 13 December 1941, and began to receive material support from Germany.

One helmet they received was the M38 Luftschutz design, the so-called “Gladiator”, and this was used in the Bulgarian Royal army during the WWII. These helmets were produced in Germany by order of Bulgarian army and designed to be used in the Bulgarian army unit called Противовъздушна и Химимическа Защита, which is read as “Protivovazdushna i Himimicheska Zashtita” or Anti-Air and Chemical Defense. A Few of them used also in Bulgarian police and gendarmerie.

This very nice example retains its original green paint, which has the expected wear and rusting from age and long service. The helmet also has the rarely preserved decal with for the unit, with the Bulgarian national Lion symbol in the center. All traditional Bulgarian Monarchic symbols were forbidden by law during the communist rule in Bulgaria, so it is very rare to find a helmet that still has the original decal intact. The design is a large shield, the left part in the National colors white-green-red, and the right part in black-white-black. There is a smaller red shield at the center of the shield with a standing lion inside. On the upper part in a dark blue line are 4 Cyrillic letters abbreviation of the Anti-air corps name: П – В – Х – З.

The inner skirt is maker marked with stamping into the steel with RL2 – 38 / 28. These markings would seem to indicate that the helmet was made in 1938, though we do not know if any records were kept of the maker. The 28 may be the maker mark, or the week it was produced. 

The liner is in good condition, though it does have damage and one section has been repaired by gluing a piece of leather to the back. The chinstrap also shows wear, and is somewhat delicate. There does look to be a name written on the rear pad, but we cannot decipher it.

Overall a very good complete Bulgarian WWII Anti-Air & Chemical Defense Helmet, made with a German M38 Beaded gladiator shell. These are VERY hard to find with an intact decal. Ready to add to your collection and display!