Original German WWII M40 Helmet – USGI Signed Bring Back War Trophy – 1100 Engineers Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This example of a captured German M40 helmet was painted white by USGIs who then had their names listed on the helmet as members of the “1100 ENGINEERS”. This Model 1940 German helmet is still in nice condition with no dents or damage to the shell.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is serial number stamped, 159 and the interior, left side, apron has a stamped manufacturer’s code and size, Q64 indicating that indicating manufacture by Quist in Esslingen, Germany in size 64. 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. The helmet still has its correct M31 liner with 4 of its 8 fingers intact. It has a nice chestnut brown aged color but is dry. The chinstrap is present and complete and all three liner retaining pins are intact.

The helmet has 53 names and is nicely marked on the front:

The names are as follows:
W.KOWAL
LOMBARDI
TEPP
MOYER
PIKE
MAJEWSKI
MURRAY
CRACCHILIO
GALE
OSTROWSKI
FELCH
PASS
ALLMAN
PARKIN
ELLIS
KINSEY
SUZMCEAK
MARTIN
ZAPOROWICZ
VINSON
KARPINSKI
LADEN
COHEN
M.KOWAL
FRASER
WILLIAMS
THOMAS
PAGLEY
LEDERMAN
LUFSTROM
CAFFAZA
McCARRAN
SPENCE
DISCIULLO
STRASICK
BONNER
FERENCE
REA
WATSON
DUNBAR
CORRAO
CAGE
LUND
THENOT
RAYNOR
SWANK
TIBBETTS
PRATT
STRASICK
SPENCE
TRIVISONNO
DI LAZZARO
SLUTSKY

A really nice trench art helmet with 1945 date brought back as a trophy of War after the fall of the Third Reich.

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.