Original German WWII Luftwaffe M35 Single Decal Droop Tail Eagle Helmet – ET66 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great all original example Model 1935 German WWII double decal helmet with an early “Droop-Tail” Luftwaffe Eagle decal on the left side. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains around 75% of the original Luftwaffe gray-blue paint and is in very good condition overall.

The Luftwaffe decal is around 85% complete, with some missing areas and wear, but it is absolutely a droop-tail. All three liner retaining pins are present, with some of the original blue paint intact.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is batch number stamped, 3773 and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET66 indicating that indicating it was manufactured by Eisenhuttenwerk AG, Thale Harz, Germany in size 66. Size 66 is a nice large size that can accommodate liners from 58cm to 60cm or US 7 1/4 to 7 1/2. Size 66 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

The helmet still has its correct good condition M31 liner with all of the 8 fingers intact, though it is dark brown from wear, so the size cannot be read. The liner still has its original leather size adjustment string. The liner band is aluminum, correct for a helmet of this vintage. It is marked 66 n.a. / 58 on the side, indicating that it is a size 58cm for a size 66 shell. The chinstrap is present, and is in very good condition, still supple, with some wear and staining from use and age. It also is stamped with legible Reichsbetriebsnummer number code 0/0560/0156, a known marking found on chin straps.

Overall a very nice totally correct 100% genuine very early single decal Luftwaffe helmet, 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.

RBN Numbers

German RBN Numbers, or Reichsbetriebsnummer, also known as the National Business Number, were an alternative to the 3 letter codes in use late in the war. Unfortunately there is no complete listing of these numbers, which only really indicate the region and type of contract it was.