Original German WWII M42 Camouflage Painted Steel Helmet with Size 55 Liner – EF62 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original example of a field-painted and battle-worn German WWII M42 Camouflage helmet! The paint job is a mixture of green and brown shades, typical of what was used in the Normandy area during the summer, possibly during the D-Day invasion time frame. These are exceedingly rare on the market and is sure to appreciate in value for years to come. 

All three original liner retaining pins are intact, and retain varying amounts of the camouflage finish. There is also some of the original Feldgrau (“Field Gray”) color beneath the camouflage. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with all eight of its fingers, and ink stamped 55. 56 stands for a centimeter measurement which translates to size US 6 7/8. The leather liner is in very good condition, with all fingers intact, and the leather in nice supple condition. The original top tie strap is still intact.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is serial number stamped 2492 under the manufacturer’s code and size, EF 62 indicating that Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda, Germany manufactured it. The company started stamping the size and maker mark on the rear skirt shortly before moving to 3 letter code “ckl”. Size 62 is a smaller size that can accommodate liners from 54cm to 56cm or US 6 3/4 to 7. The original chin strap is included, and in very good condition, with soft leather and functional hardware.

Overall a very nice 100% genuine M42 German Camouflage helmet! M42 helmets of this quality are always the hardest to find on the market. 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.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.