Original German WWII Identified Bring Back M35 Camouflage Helmet and Medal Grouping Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind.  Peter H Smith Jr (ASN 33186152) enlisted on 17 July 1942 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. S/SGT Smith was a Ball turret gunner in the 385th Bombardment Group, 548th Bomb Squadron. His plane was shot down  on 4 October 1943 in B-17 #423308. Plane ditched in North Sea. He survived by parachuting down but had a rough landing where he featured his Spine and pubic bone. He was discharged from the Hospital in January 1944. His records can be found in the National Archives confirming all of this and he is listed on the American Air Museum in Britain at this link.

This helmet was in his possession at the end of the war and he returned with it from Europe. Also included are medals, badges and his dog tag. Please see photos for exactly what is included. Please note that the DFC is only the box, the medal was lost or sold before it came into our possession. There is also a Pacific Campaign Medal and a Japanese propaganda pin, we aren’t sure why these were in Smith’s possession, as he was in Europe, but they came along with the group as we got it so have included them.

Some of the most unique German helmets of WWII were worn during the Battle for Normandy. The terrain of thick green hedgerows, rolling green meadows, golden fields and orchards created diverse but deadly battlefields; one that necessitated good helmet camouflage for survival. To help their helmets blend into this environment, German soldiers at Normandy used a wide range of paint, wire, cloth covers and other devices to this end. These men were often hardened, experienced combat veteran with experience in campaigns in Poland, France, Africa and the USSR. They knew from experience what worked and what didn’t, and the helmet they wore during the Normandy campaign reflected that.

One effective, although more permanent method of concealing the helmet was the use of camouflage paint. It is up to some debate exactly when this method began among German soldiers but by the time of the Normandy campaign it was widespread. In mid 1943 the German high command ordered that a three color camouflaged scheme of tan, green and brown be used in the painting of vehicles and other equipment. These same paints were used to camouflage helmets as well. While the high command did order specific color codes be used for consistency, the hues of tan, green, and brown can vary on original examples significantly. The mix of these tan, green, and brown colors were used by German troops at Normandy with such frequency that today collectors call almost any German helmet with a mix of these three colors “Normandy Camo”. It should be clear that while the use of these three colors for camouflaging helmets was common, there was never a directive from the German military high command to paint helmets in this manor. No officially sanctioned  “Normandy camo” existed. The collector term, Normandy camo can still be justified to a large degree. Photos from the battle as well as surviving original example with Normandy providence would indicate this particular camo pattern was a favorite of Germans during the campaign. The mix of the three colors was certainly a good choice for Normandy as the countryside does exhibit those same colors. That being said with much of Western Europe’s terrain looking so similar this same pattern would see action in other battles as well. The camouflage paints used at Normandy do not confine themselves to distinct hues of tan, brown and green. Some helmets were painted with two colors or just one and sometimes with non-standard military paints that were probably locally sourced. Further complicating the matter, captured British, Soviet, French and Italian paints were all used to camouflage helmets at Normandy. The hue of these colors often deviate from the standard German military colors. The German soldiers who camouflaged their helmets were well aware of their surroundings and certainly were aware of what colors and patterns would blend into the terrain they would soon be fighting in. It is logical they would have chosen colored paint based the local area which would account for the variation.

This stamped sheet steel construction Model 1935 German combat helmet retains much of its original Camo paint but shows expected wear and use. All three liner retaining pins are intact. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with all eight of it’s fingers intact. The liner is a bit dry and flaking in some areas but is in overall good solid condition and not overly stiff. The liner is approximately size 56.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped, 3451 and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, EF 64 indicating that Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda, Germany manufactured it. Size 64 is a nice large size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 58cm or US 7 to 7 1/4. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

Overall a stunning Camouflage M35 Helmet offered in fantastic condition.

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 an effort to reduced construction time and labor costs minor modifications were introduced in March 1940 resulting in the M40 helmet. Further construction modifications were undertaken in August 1942 resulting in the M42 helmet.