Polizei M34 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet is painted black over several previous layers of paint. Traces of a white over red band circle the entire
exterior of the helmet with the letters OSP centered in the front of the helmet. The markings have been applied over the
black paint and then hand painted over in black.
Heer M40 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. No insignia was added to the right side of the helmet after
1940. The helmet is painted in rough field grey. The right side of the helmet has several dents and penetrations from
shrapnel.
German Helmets
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 with 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 World War One. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage throughout the Weimar Reichswehr
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 reduce 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.
Luftwaffe M35 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Luftwaffe (Air Force) Eagle on the left side with the three color national shield on the right.
The helmet is painted in Luftwaffe field grey. The inside is marked 189 on the rear of the rim and Q68 on the inside left,
indicating manufacture by F.W. Quist, G.m.b.H. Esslingen, size 68. The inside of this helmet is also ink marked on the
inside rim, dome and liner 5.Komp, for 5th Company. This helmet was brought back as a souvenir from Paris, France in
1945 by MSgt Paul Cernak, COM-Z OTIT, Command Zone Ordnance Technical Intelligence Testing.
Polizei M35 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Polizei (Police) Eagle on the left side with the three color national insignia on the right. The
helmet is painted in apple green. The inside is marked 3656 on the rear of the rim and ET64 on the inside left of the rim,
indicating manufacture by Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, size 64. The inside dome is marked with an oval ink
inspection stamp with the date of 1937.
Heer M40 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. No insignia was added to the right side of the helmet after
1940. The helmet is painted in field grey. The inside is marked DN67 on the rear of the rim and NS64 on the inside left of the
rim, indicating manufacture by Vereinigte Deutsche Nickelwerke, AG. Schwerte, size 64.
Heer M35 Camouflage Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The three color national shield was removed from the right
side per 1940 regulations. The helmet was originally painted in apple green and later camouflage painted in tan. The inside
is marked 4673 on the rear of the rim and ET64 on the inside left of the rim, indicating manufacture by Eisen-und
Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, size 64. The inside rear of the helmet is hand marked in gothic letters U.ffz. Gulovics.
This helmet is believed to have been owned by Unteroffizier (Sergeant) Franz Gulovics. Unteroffizier Gulovics was born on
November 25th 1903 and was Killed In Action (KIA) on March 29th 1943 in North Afrika. He is buried in the Bordj-Cendria
(Tunisia) cemetary Hof NAS Ossario 2 Plate 23.
Heer M35 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The three color national shield was not added to the right
side per 1940 regulations. The helmet is painted in a semi rough field grey paint. The inside is marked 21474 on the rear of
the rim and E.F.66 on the inside left of the rim, indicating manufacture by Emaillierwerk, AG Fulda, size 66.
Heer M35 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The three color national shield was not added to the right
side per 1940 regulations. The helmet is painted in a semi rough field grey paint. The inside is marked 4858 on the rear of
the rim. The markings on the inside left of the rim are obscured due to rust. This helmet is missing the liner band and liner.
Heer M35 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The three color national shield was not added to the right
side per 1940 regulations. The helmet is painted in a semi rough field grey paint. The inside is marked 11826 on the rear of
the rim and SE64 on the inside left of the rim, indicating manufacture by Sächsische Emaillier-und Stanzwerke, AG Lauter,
size 64. This helmet is missing the liner band and liner.
Heer M42 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet does not have the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The helmet has been repainted in a very rough
field grey paint over a previous white paint which is painted over field grey. The inside is marked vL6X on the rear of the
rim above 57XX (X is faintly stamped and unreadable). This helmet is missing the liner band and liner.
Waffen SS M35 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Waffen SS shield on the right side. The three color national insignia was not added to the left
side per 1940 regulations. The helmet is painted in a very rough field grey paint over an earlier smooth field grey paint. The
inside is marked 4858 on the rear of the rim and E.F.64 on the inside left of the rim, indicating manufacture by
Emaillierwerk, AG Fulda, size 64. This helmet is missing the liner band and liner.
Heer M35 Camouflage Helmet - Relic, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The three color national shield is not present on the right
side. The helmet has extensive corrosion, but traces of the ordnance tan camouflage paint is still present. This helmet was
found near Monte Cassino, Italy in the 1990s.
M42 Helmet - Relic, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet does not have traces of insignia on either side. The helmet has extensive corrosion.
This helmet was found near Monte Cassino, Italy in the 1990s.
Heer M40 Helmet - Relic, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side. The helmet has extensive corrosion, but traces of the field
grey paint are present.
This helmet was found near San Pietro, Italy in the 1990s.
Heer M35 Helmet - Relic, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has traces of the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side and national insignia on the right side. The helmet
has extensive corrosion, but traces of the field grey paint are present.
This helmet was found near Monte Cassino, Italy in the 1990s.
Heer M35 Helmet - Relic, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has traces of the Heer (Army) Eagle on the left side and national insignia on the right side. The helmet
has light corrosion and has been repainted several times over the original field grey paint. On the front of the helmet is a
crudely hand painted dark green Baltic cross.
This helmet was found near Anzio, Italy in the 1990s.
Polizei M34 Helmet, above left and right photo.
This German Helmet has been restored with Polizei (Police) insignia on the left and right side of the helmet.
Hungarian M35 Camouflage Helmet, above left and right photo.
This Hungarian Helmet has been painted in rough patterns of brown over ordnance tan paint. The exterior of the helmet
was previously painted in a rough field grey paint. The top of the helmet is covered in chicken wire for camouflage foliage
attachment. The chicken wire has been secured to the helmet with four sections of wire.
The inside rear of the helmet is marked U MAVAG 66.
Heer Helmet Decals, above left and right photo.
The decals applied to the German helmets were wet transfer style and were supplied at the factory on a large paper roll.
Each decal had to be trimmed from the paper prior to application to the helmet. The four decals shown above were taken
from a German helmet manufacturing factory after World War Two. The front shows the outline of the decal for alignment
on the helmet. The stock number No26123 is marked on each decal. The inside of the decal paper shows the silver face
that would be applied to the outside of the helmet.