Original German Pre-WWII Early Commercially Manufactured M1916 Police Helmet Converted to Luftschutz Helmet with 1936 Dated 56cm Liner

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a very nice and rare genuine steel construction 1930s Commercial Stahlhelm (Steel Helmet), which was at first outfitted for early Third Reich Police officers, but then converted to a Luftschutz Air Raid Defense helmet later during its service life. Definitely a helmet with a long and interesting history!

These helmets were for the most part identical to the WWI production M16 helmets, however the folded over rim on the bottom of the skirt actually flared out somewhat, almost looking like an M42 helmet. The overall shape was the same, and they still retained the long vent lugs for attachment of a stirnpanzer front armor shield, though we do not know if these were ever used at this time. We measured the shell, and it is a 64cm size, though the vent lugs do not have a step, so we believe they are ornamental. We checked the shell, and it has no production markings at all, probably to obfuscate the origin.

The helmet originally looks to have been painted pre-war Apfelgrün (apple green), which is still visible inside the crown of the helmet. The exterior and inside of the skirt were painted with the dark blue paint used on Luftschutz helmets, and the front had a LUFTSCHUTZ wing and oak leaf decal installed. This is in very good condition, retained at over 95%, showing just a bit of light overall wear, and no major chipping or other damage. The paint on the exterior has flaked and allowed oxidation, and we cannot see any Apple Green paint, so the exterior looks to have been stripped before being repainted. There are some dents in the top of the shell, and paint loss due to service.

The liner system on this helmet is a typical "Civic" style liner with 8 fingers, similar to the military issue but less robust. There is a padded fiber band under the leather, and it is attached with three hollow rivets, which all still retain the cork spacer washers around them. The leather is in very good shape, still mostly supple with light wear, though there is some moth / insect damage around the rim area. The top securing tie is still present, and there is actually a faint 56 stamp on one of the rear fingers. There is also an RLB starburst insignia on the inner left side, with 36 next to it, which we assume is the date. The original chinstrap is present, however the leather by the buckle broke off the spring clip that attaches the left side, so it is now hanging loose.

Commercial Stahlhelm Police helmets are probably the rarest variety of the Police style and are very hard to find, and sure to appreciate in value over the years. This is a very good example that was converted during the war to use as a Luftschutz helmet, and is only the second time we have seen one like this. Comes ready to display!

Formed in late 1932 the Deutsches Luftschutzverband, (German Air Protection League), was a voluntary organization designed to provide civil air raid protection in large civilian centers. Shortly after AH ascension to power the Deutsches Luftschutzverband was restructured and placed under the supervision of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, (National Air Ministry), under the control of Hermann Göring. On April 29TH 1933 the Deutsches Luftschutzverband was renamed RLB, Reichs Luftschutz Bund, (National Air Raid Protection League) and was given status as an official national organization tasked with all aspects of civil air raid defense. The RLB remained a voluntary organization with a small cadre of paid, full-time uniformed officials to oversee the organizations functions until June 1935 when obligatory service was introduced. Only the most basic uniform and equipment items were supplied to the cadre personnel, with the rest having to be bought personally by members. On September 26TH 1938 a specific helmet for RLB personnel was introduced that incorporated a raised horizontal "bead" between the visors and crown. These helmets commonly called the "Gladiator" style were supplemented with M35, M40 and M42 helmets that also incorporated a raised horizontal "bead" between the visors and crown. The Luftschutz also utilized a variety of captured helmets.