Original German WWII Battlefield Pickup M42 Single Decal Army Heer Helmet with Relic Liner & Chinstrap – ET64 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original “well-worn” example of a German Model 42 Steel helmet, as issued to the Wehrmacht Heer (army). The condition of the shell and liner definitely suggests that this is a “battlefield pickup” item, left outside exposed to the elements for a time, and then found and brought home. It shows oxidation to the exterior as well as on the interior, particularly on the inside of the dome, typical for a helmet that was upside down with water inside the crown. The leather from the chin strap and liner is present but has degraded significantly, probably due to the same water exposure.

Overall, this sheet steel construction helmet has a great service worn look to the feldgrau (field gray) paint on the exterior, probably only retaining about 25% or less, with the rest faded to an oxidized patina. The left side of the helmet features a great well-worn Heer eagle decal, retained at about 50%, showing much overall wear. This helmets has a great “service worn” look that simply cannot be duplicated!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is heat lot number stamped 2438, and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET64. This indicates that it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, 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.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, with the original paint retained to a varying degree. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner present, however it is definitely in “relic” condition, with the leather shrunken and taut around the inner band. It is quite stiff, and the rear stitching has torn out. The late war galvanized steel outer band has had the plating oxidize, so we were not able to make out any of the markings. The chinstrap is in similar condition to the liner leather, and is quite delicate and stiff. The metal buckle tore through the shorter side of the chinstrap, and is still attached to the longer part.

Overall an very nice service worn “battlefield pickup” M42 Single Decal Heer Army helmet with a great patina! M42 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 were given by collectors.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.