Original German WWII M-38 Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Paratrooper Helmet with Replica Liner, Chicken Wire & Chinstraps - ET71

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of an Authentic WWII German M-38 Fallschirmjäger Helmet shell, which was then restored post war with a museum quality replica liner, replica chinstrap, and reproduced chicken wire attached to a larger wire at the bottom. It was most likely repainted at this point, or at least had a tan paint job applied over the original blue gray, and then was aged to look like it had been through a war. We believe the components used to restore the helmet were made in Czechoslovakia, and the liner has the correct two piece leather lining, foam rubber padding, and aluminum frame. It even has replicated maker markings, and it was aged and conditioned when installed in the helmet so that it looks like the real thing. The same is true for the paratrooper chinstrap harness. In summary the only original part to this helmet is the shell itself.

After the war was over, a booming market grew in Europe focused on collecting German WWII militaria. M38 Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger (Paratrooper) Helmets were particularly in demand, both due to the rarity and to the nearly legendary status of the units. This led businesses in the Czech area of Czechoslovakia to tool up and begin production of high end museum grade replica M38 helmets, as well as liners for restoring original shells. These were made very close to the German specifications, and the "Czech Version" replicas are still among the best ever produced, and are quite desirable on the market even today.

The exterior shell of the helmet shows a fantastic replicated wear pattern, with the tan paint worn in the openings of the chicken wire, while it is retained where the wire is present. There is missing paint and oxidation on the chicken wire as well, giving the helmet a real "battle worn" look that definitely must have taken a lot of work and time to execute.

The rear of the skirt is stamped with CKL71 over lot number 2088, which is a bit faintly stamped but still fully legible. We even measured the outside of the helmet, and came up with 72cm, correct for a 71 shell. All paratrooper helmets were produced by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. They had used the abbreviation "ET" until about 1942, after which they moved to the three letter code "ckl". This example is a shell size 71 and was produced some time in 1942 - 1945. The helmet shells were produced in three sizes, 66, 68 and 71, and this is the largest size 71cm shell with replica 60cm marked Czech Liner.

The liner itself looks great, and has been aged perfectly to match the condition of the shell. It has replicated ink stamp maker and size markings, and the replica chin strap is complete with all snaps and buckles functional.

A fantastic authentic German WWII M38 Paratrooper Helmet Shell, restored and aged post war and ready to add to your collection and display!

Fallschirmjägerhelm M38

Fallschirmjägerhelm M38 ( M38 Heisler / M38 ) - was a German steel paratrooper helmet intended for Fallschirmjäger airborne units from World War II. Originally, the German airborne troops used the standard Stahlhelm M35 helmets throughout the German Army . It soon turned out, however, that this helmet was not suitable for parachuting, as it caused significant air resistance during the jump. A too loosely fastened helmet could have been torn from the jumper's head, and if it was tightly fastened it could cause suffocation.

Therefore, from 1936, work was carried out at the Eisenhüttenwerke factory to create a helmet dedicated specifically to the airborne troops. Their effect was a parachute helmet designed by engineer Karl Heisler, which under the designation M38 was adopted by the army.

The M38 helmet was derived from the standard M35 helmet. However, it was smaller, more streamlined and with a significantly reduced hood. The front part of the hood was only marked, and the rear part was shortened to 1.8 cm. (in experimental versions - 2 cm). The rims of the bell were rolled up. The helmet bell was made in a series of operations from one piece of steel sheet 1.5 mm thick. It was produced in sizes marked as 66, 68 and 71.

The internal equipment of the experimental versions of the helmet was identical to that of the standard M35 helmet. In the version adopted for equipment, a new type of fascia was used, which better protected against possible injuries. For this purpose, the bell walls were additionally lined with a shock-absorbing micro-rubber insert cut into 7 "arms" with a thickness of 10 to 13 mm. The actual fit was in the form of a leather cap with round holes cut for ventilation. Both the micro-rubber insert and the leather cap were attached to an aluminum rim with a thickness of 1 mm. All interior fittings were bolted with four screws to the helmet bell.

A new type of lining was also used in the parachute helmet. The standard two-point suspension was replaced with a four-point "Y" -shaped suspension, which ensured better fit of the helmet on the head. In the model adopted as an accessory, the straps of the lining were widened to 20 mm and latches were introduced to protect the helmet against accidental unfastening.

The helmet's bell was initially painted gray-blue. A national-colored shield on the right side and a Luftwaffe eagle decal on the left side were put on. Later during the war, the bell was painted gray-green or sand colored. Various covers and masking nets were also used. In winter conditions, the helmet bell was painted white.

Polish tankers from the 2nd Corps of the Polish Armed Forces in the West would use captured M38 helmets. The reason for this was their small size and the fact that they fit very tightly to the head. However, they were strictly forbidden to use them, as it happened that their own infantry mistook the tankers leaving their vehicles as Germans and opened fire on them.