Original German WWII Battle Damaged M35 Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet with 1940 Dated 56cm Liner – Stamped SE64 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting all original example of a Model 1935 German WWII helmet with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal and 1940 dated size 56cm liner. The helmet at one point suffered battle damage to the left side, with a large dent right next to the vent. Whatever caused this blow left a dent about 3 inches wide, which popped off the left side vent rivet and removed paint in the area as well. This also deformed the liner inside, bending the band and causing the split pin on that side to pull out. There is no way to tell when this happened during the war, or whether it was being worn at the time, but the helmet definitely does look to have seen a good amount of service prior to the damage, 

This stamped sheet steel construction helmet still retains a good amount of the original lightly textured Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (flyer’s blue) paint, which utilized aluminum oxide as a texturing agent. This helmet was made during the transition period in 1940, so it utilized an M35 shell, but was set up with a galvanized steel liner, and the wartime paint scheme with only a single Luftwaffe decal on the left side. The exterior definitely shows wear from service, especially around the bottom rim, and there is paint loss due to the damage it received. The smooth interior paint is more well retained, but still does show some loss and oxidation. The original Luftwaffe Eagle decal is present, but only retained at about 40% due to wear from service and damage from when the helmet was dented. It’s got a great aged look that fits in well with the overall look of the helmet.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is serial number stamped 4992 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer’s code and size, SE64 indicating that it was manufactured by Sächsische Emaillier und Stanzwerke A.G. of Lauter, Germany. Size 64 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.

Two of the original three liner pins are present, with the rear pin still attached correctly, and the right side pin sticking out a bit, having been pushed out of place when the helmet was damaged. The two pins have nickel plated heads, so they have both lost a good amount of the original paint. The interior of the helmet still has its original leather liner with all 8 fingers present, however the leather is cracked and torn, with two fingers missing the ends. The original top tie string is also missing. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 64 n.A / 56, indicating that this is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date, though it was stamped faintly and can be hard to read:

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

The original chinstrap is completely missing.

Overall an very good condition genuine M35 Single Decal Luftwaffe helmet, with a battle-damaged look that is impossible to duplicate! 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.