Original German WWII Complete M40 Army Heer Helmet with Period Applied Foliage Net – Stamped EF62 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original example of a German Model 40 Steel helmet, as issued to the Wehrmacht Heer (army). It shows lovely period service wear in the form of chipped paint and light oxidation on the shell of the helmet, and the leather components show light to moderate period wear. There are no decals installed on this helmet, but that is not uncommon for the later war period. It also has a fantastic period applied green painted twine foliage net, which are extremely rare! These were used to attach pieces of foliage to the helmet for a greater camouflage profile. This is one of the few times that we have ever had one of these! The helmet does not look to have been repainted due to service, but it is always possible that it was completely refit at one time, as it has a late war “pig skin” style liner. This is a very nice example of the M40 helmet, with a great look that is impossible to duplicate.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped 11368, and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, E.F.62 indicating that indicating it was manufactured by Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda Germany in size 62. This is a nice smaller size that can accommodate liners from 54cm to 55cm or US 6 3/4 to 6 7/8.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, with exterior paint retained very well, showing just a bit of chipping. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with all eight of its fingers intact and a leather top tie still installed. It is a later war “pig skin” type liner, with the thicker textured leather, which is in very good shape, showing the expected wear and tear from service. There is some minor splitting over the rim, and tears near the end of the fingers. The galvanized steel liner band is very tight fitting in the shell, and due to the installed net, we were not able to see any of the markings on the liner. It looks a bit small in the band, so we assume it is a 54cm liner.

The installed chinstrap is in very good condition, and has the correct steel studs and buckle. The leather is a bit dryed out and does have some wear, but the leather is still solid. We can see a faint maker mark on the end, with a 1941 date.

Overall a fantastic complete M40 Heer Army helmet with a great period applied foliage net and loads of patina! 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 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.