Original German WWII Heer Army Single Decal M42 Helmet with 1943 Dated 54cm Liner - Stamped ET62

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition all original example of a late war German Model 42 Heer Army "Single Decal" Steel helmet, with some great period wear. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet was painted a late war Panzergrau dark blue gray color, which is retained at over 80%, showing overall wear with some chipping and soiling, as well as some rust stains in areas. The left side of the helmet features a Heer eagle decal, which is retained at about 90%, showing overall wear with some chips missing on the head and left wing. It has a lovely lightly yellowed color, with the metallic portions still bright. The helmet overall has the fantastic patina that only real wear in the field can give.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is heat lot number stamped 2163 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer's code and size, ET62 indicating that it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. Size 62 is a nice smaller size that can accommodate liners from 54cm to 55cm or US 6 3/4 to 6 7/8. There are also the remains of a "dome stamp" in the top of the helmet, though we are not able to read it.

All three original liner retaining pins are present, with the paint well retained on all, showing just a bit of chipping on two of the three. The interior of the helmet still has an original M31 leather liner present, with all 8 fingers still present and fully intact, still retaining the top tie string. The leather is still quite supple, and there is no major damage or splitting over the edges, just some light staining in areas. The galvanized steel liner band is marked on the left side with 62 n.A. / 54, indicating that it is a size 54 liner for a size 62 shell. There is also a 54 in a circle on the leather itself. It is maker marked and dated on the right side, though it is a bit faint:

SCHUBERTH - WERK K.-G.
D.R.P.
1940
BRAUNSCHWEIG

The chinstrap is completely missing.

Overall a very nice late-war M42 Single Decal Heer Army helmet, completely correct with a great used look and intact liner! 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.