Original German WWII Luftwaffe M42 Single Decal Camouflage Overpaint Helmet with 1944 Dated 56cm Liner and Replica Chinstrap - Stamped ckl64

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting example of a Model 1942 German WWII helmet with a single Luftwaffe Eagle decal and size 56cm liner. At some point, possibly during the war, it was given a camouflage paint job on the exterior, and looks to have seen additional service, possibly into the post war era. The original Luftwaffe decal can still be seen through the camouflage on the left side, though it is somewhat indistinct, and looks like it may have suffered a good amount of wear before the camouflage overpaint. We can also see past oxidation on the interior and exterior under the paint, giving it a great "been there" look from long service.

The rear interior of the apron has a stamped manufacturer's code and size: [ck]l64 over heat lot 3011 indicating it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. The maker code is quite hard to see due to the condition of the shell and the paint, and we could only make out the "l" in the maker code, however that is definitive for this maker. Towards the end of the war, the ET marking was discontinued in favor of three letter code ckl, and later moved the marking under the rear skirt. Size 64 shells are a nice medium size, and can accommodate size 56 and 57 liners.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, with exterior paint partly worn away on all from use in service, though all still show some of the camouflage overpaint. The helmet still has its correct condition M31 liner with all 8 of the original "fingers" present and intact, though the original top tie securing string is missing. The leather is still relatively supple, though it has dried out a bit and has dirt on a good amount of the surface. It looks like the liner, or at least the leather portion, may have been replaced at some point during service, as it shows very little wear. The left exterior of the galvanized steel liner band is marked 64 n. A. / 56, indicating that it is a size 56 liner for a size 64 shell. The right side has the full maker information clearly stamped:

R.B.Nr.
1944
0/0251/0111

RBNr, or national business number, was used during the late war to mark the liner bands to help obscure the factory locations, which previously had been stamped onto the bands. The helmet is fitted with a very nice replica chinstrap, which is itself now decades old and patinated.

Overall a lovely genuine M42 Single Decal Luftwaffe helmet with an overpaint camouflage paint job. Ready to research and display!

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.