Original German WWII M40 Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet with Damaged 1940 Dated Size 59 Liner & Chinstrap – ET66 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original example Model 1940 German WWII helmet with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal and damaged size 59cm liner, as well as an intact arsenal replacement chinstrap. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet still retains most of the original lightly textured Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (flyer’s blue) paint, which utilized aluminum oxide as a texturing agent. There is scuffing to the paint and some worked in dirt, particularly on the top of the helmet, but there is no major damage out of line with wear from service. The interior paint is very well retained, with just a bit of oxidation in areas. The original Luftwaffe eagle decal is still retained at almost 100%, showing a lovely aged toned color and just a bit of wear. This is really a great looking decal, and we rarely see them this good!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is heat lot number stamped 4894 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer’s code and size, ET66 indicating that it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. Size 66 is a nice larger size that can accommodate liners from 58cm to 59cm or US 7 1/4 to 7 5/8. Size 66 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three original liner retaining pins are intact and in good condition, retaining the original paint almost completely, which is the earlier war smooth style. The interior of the helmet still has its original leather liner with all 8 fingers intact and the original top tie string in place. However, it has torn through around the rim for about 80% of the circumference, with staining at the tear. Most likely it was stored on top of another helmet for a long time, and rust deteriorated the leather. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 66 n.A / 59, indicating that this is a size 59 liner for a size 66 shell. There is also a 59 in a circle stamped on the leather itself. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date, though it was stamped faintly and can be hard to read, except for the date:

Metall-Lederverarbeitung W.Z.
1940
Bln.- Ch’burg 5

This indicates production by the metal and leather working company Werner Zahn, based in Berlin – Charlottenburg, in the year 1940, which fits right into the immediate pre-war period.

The included chinstrap is in fully intact, and looks to be an arsenal spare, possibly installed post war, as it is in excellent barely used condition. There is some wear to the edges and wrinkling of the finish, but it otherwise shows little to no wear. It is marked on the longer section by maker J. MARTIN PAUCKNER / BAMBERG / 1943, and features a galvanized steel buckle and studs.

Overall an very good condition genuine complete M40 Single Decal Luftwaffe helmet, with a patina that is impossible to duplicate! This is an item that will only continue to appreciate in value over time.

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 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet’s shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet’s safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army’s Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.