Original German WWII M42 Single Decal Luftwaffe Helmet with 1943 Dated Relic Liner – marked NS64 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all original example Model 1942 German WWII helmet with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal and “relic” condition liner, which has had the leather dry rot and tear over the decades. 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 and some scratches from service, but nothing major. The interior paint is very well retained, with just a bit of oxidation in areas. The original Luftwaffe eagle decal is still retained at about 95%, showing a lovely aged toned color and some chipping in the “left” wing. This is really a lovely decal, and we rarely see them this good!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is lot number stamped D292 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer’s code and size NS64, indicating that it was manufactured by Vereinigte Deutsche Nikelwerke, of Schwerte, Germany. Size 64 is a nice medium size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector. There is also a faint “Dome Stamp” in the center of the crown, though we are unfortunately unable to read it.

All three original liner retaining pins are intact and in good condition, retaining almost all of the textured blue paint on the heads. The interior of the helmet still has its original leather liner present, however the leather has dry rotted over the years, and now is literally falling apart. All 8 fingers are still present but the liner is torn around the rim in many areas, and the body of the liner is in very delicate condition. The outer side of the galvanized steel liner band over the left ear is marked 64 n.A / 56, indicating that this is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. The right side displays the full manufacture information, as well as a date, though it is a bit faint:

Metall-Lederverarbeitung W.Z.
1943
Bln.- Ch’burg 5

This indicates production by the metal and leather working company Werner Zahn, based in Berlin – Charlottenburg, in the year 1943, which fits right into the later war period, correct for an M42 helmet.

Overall an very good condition genuine complete M42 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.