Original German WWII Army Heer M40 “No Decal” Steel Helmet with 1940 Dated 57cm Liner & Chinstrap – Stamped NS64 – Partial Replacement Decal Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely German Model 40 Steel helmet, which has a great service used look! There was a replacement Heer decal applied to the side at one point, but the bottom half has worn away and the helmet may look better with it taken off completely. In spite of this, this stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains over more than 60% of its original lightly textured feldgrau paint, showing wear consistent with service and storage.

The rear interior of the apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size: NS64, indicating it was manufactured by Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke, of Schwerte, Germany. It is also marked with lot number D10 above the maker marking. These markings were stamped somewhat poorly, typical of mid-war production. Size 64 shells are a nice medium size, and can accommodate size 56 and 57 liners. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three original liner retaining pins are intact and have almost most of the original paint on the ends, with some light wear from storage. The interior of the helmet still has an original M31 leather liner with all 8 fingers intact, with some damage to several of them. The outer side of the mid war galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 64 n.A / 57, indicating that this is a size 57 liner for a size 64 shell. There is also a VERY faint 57 in a circle stamped on the leather of the liner itself, on one of the torn fingers. The right side displays the full manufacture information and date:

SCHUBERTH-WERKE K.-G.
D. R. P.
1940
BRAUNSCHWEIG

The included chinstrap is in very good condition, still soft and very pliable. There are no maker markings we can see, and the buckle is a bit oxidized but retains some of its paint.

Overall, a lovely M40 Heer Army helmet with a partial replacement decal that could be removed. M40 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.

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 was given by collectors.

In 1942, Due to wartime demands, the M-42 design was put into production because it was significantly quicker to manufacture. The rolled edge of the M-35 shell was eliminated, creating an unfinished edge along the rim. This edge flared out slightly, along the base of the skirt. The elimination of the rolled edge expedited the manufacturing process and reduced the amount of metal used in each helmet, without sacrificing protection.