Original German WWII Luftwaffe M35 Double Decal Size 61cm Helmet with 1939 Dome Stamp and LBA Chinstrap – ET68 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great all original example Model 1935 German WWII double decal helmet with an extra large 61cm liner, and LBA marked chin strap. It has a Luftwaffe Eagle decal on the left side, and a National Colors decal on the right. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains around 95% of the original Luftwaffe gray-blue paint and is in excellent condition overall. Most of the paint wear is on the edge of the rim.

The Luftwaffe decal is around 85% complete, with a chunk of the left wing having been chipped out. The national colors decal is at about 80%, with overall wear, and some wear through to the base layer of the decal. All three liner retaining pins are present, with most of the original blue paint intact. Like many early split pins, they have plated heads, and the legs on two are dated 39.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped, 4304 and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET68 indicating that indicating it was manufactured by Eisenhuttenwerk AG, Thale Harz, Germany in size 68. Size 68 is a rare extra large size that can accommodate liners from 60cm to 61cm or US 7 1/2 to 7 5/8. Size 68 shells are the hardest to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector. Also, this helmet still bears the original ink “Dome Stamp” on the inside, with a 1939 date in the middle.

The helmet still has its correct good condition M31 liner with all of the 8 fingers intact, though it is a bit worn, so the size stamp is to faded to read. The liner still has its original leather size adjustment string at the top. The liner band is aluminum, correct for a helmet of this vintage. It is marked 68 n.a. / 61 on the side, indicating that it is a size 61cm for a size 68 shell, one of the largest sizes officially produced.

The right side displays the full manufacture information in a circle, as well as a date:

SCHUBERTH-WERK K.-G.
D.R.P.
1939
BRAUNSCHWEIG

Attached to the liner is a very nice original chin strap, with the correct aluminum buckle and studs found on early issue chin straps. The chin strap does show age, and has some cracking, however it has an L.B.A. stamp on it, for Luftwaffebekleidungsamt, which means Air Force Clothing Office.

Overall a very nice totally correct 100% genuine M35 Double Decal Luftwaffe helmet, in an extremely hard to find extra large size, ready to display!

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.

The Luftwaffe pattern national eagle was originally introduced for wear by Fliegerschaft, (Pilot Base), personnel of the DLV, Deutscher Luftsportsverband, (German Air Sports Association), the clandestine, civilian, forerunner of the Luftwaffe on August 18TH 1934, and adopted for wear by the Luftwaffe on March 1ST 1935 along with the national tri-color shield for wear on the helmet.

The first pattern national eagle was utilized until a modified second pattern eagle was introduced in late 1936 or early 1937. Regulations of June 12TH 1940 discontinued the use of the national tri-color decal and further regulations of August 28TH 1943 abolished the national eagle decal and dictated that it was also to be removed from all helmets although the directives were not completely adhered to.