Original German WWII M18 Transitional Army Single Decal Helmet with Liner – Size 66 Shell Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a really nice, excellent example of a WWI M18 helmet that was converted for use by the Third Reich in the 1930s before the issue of the M1935 helmet. It features a correct M31 eight finger leather liner, no chinstrap and a wonderful Heer (army) decal over the left ear. The decal is mostly complete and is retained at approximately 85%. The shell size stamp can barely be seen anymore, due to the repainting of the helmet when it was reissued. We believe the stamp is ET66 and we did measure it, and the shell measures about 67cm on the outside, so it is a 66cm shell.

Helmet retains about 80% of its field-gray over-paint. The original liner split pins were all replaced with the WWII style when the new liner was installed. As this is the later M18 variation, this helmet never had the chin strap installation lugs on the skirt of the helmet, as the chin strap was attached directly to the liner. It retains both of the “no step” ventilation side lugs, which are the correct shorter type for the larger size 66 shell. This would ensure proper installation of a Stirnpanzer brow plate regardless of shell size. Shows the expected age, but overall excellent condition, with a lovely patina.

A beautiful, solid example of a helmet type that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Comes 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, in the spring of 1916. These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. At the end of WWI it is estimated that Germany had produced about 8,500,000 steel helmets. As a result of the restrictions placed on the German’s by the Treaty of Versailles, which dictated a standing army of only 100,000 personnel, there was an abundant surplus of these helmets, and though they saw widespread use by Freikorps personnel, there was still a stockpile controlled by the Reichswehr.

These excess helmets underwent minor modifications in 1923 with the addition of provincial identifying shield decals and in 1931 with the development of a new chinstrap and liner system. Although helmet development was ongoing when AH came to power in 1933, the M16 and M18 helmets were still the main headgear worn by the Reichswehr. The helmets remained the same until March 1933 when the provincial shields were discontinued in favour of the national tri-color shield. In 1934 the national eagle shield was introduced, and both the tri-color and eagle shields were applied to the helmets. After the development of the new M35 helmet, the WWI helmets were still issued to second line and training troops well into WWII. The Austrian M16 was almost identical to the German version with the positioning of the chinstrap liner rivets being the most readily identifiable difference.