Original German WWII M42 Heer Army Single Decal Camouflage Helmet with 59cm Liner & Chinstrap - stamped ckl66

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely service used all original example of a late war German Model 42 Steel helmet, with a single Heer Army decal and a lovely dark green and yellow camouflage paint job. This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains about 60% of the yellow stippled green camouflage paint job, with wear and oxidation from service. We cannot feel any major dents, but the shell definitely shows wear, especially on the top of the helmet, which has allowed the steel to oxidize. The interior shows paint loss and oxidation, so this helmet looks to have seen a good amount of service in harsh conditions, possibly left on the battle field for a short amount of time before being picked up. The left side of the helmet features a Heer eagle decal, which is retained about 80%, showing some small chips as well as overall wear. Oxidation staining and age have given the decal's enamel top coat a lovely yellowed color.

The rear interior of the apron has a stamped manufacturer's code and size: ckl66 over heat lot 5705, indicating it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. These markings are somewhat lightly stamped, and can be hard to read. Towards the end of the war, the ET marking was discontinued in favor of three letter code ckl, and moved the marking under the rear skirt. Size 66 is a nice large size that can accommodate liners from 58cm to 59cm or US 7 1/4 to 7 3/8. Size 66 shells are much harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three liner retaining pins are intact, and they have all lost the original paint and oxidized. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner present, though it definitely shows age and has lost one of the eight "fingers". The original top tie was lost, how replaced by a worn shoelace, and the leather is a dark chestnut brown color from age and use. The left exterior of the galvanized steel liner band is marked 66 n. A. / 59, indicating that it is a size 59 liner for a size 66 shell. The right side of the band has white rust and oxidation of the steel base material, so we cannot see any of the maker information.

The chinstrap is present, and is the correct later war version with a steel buckle and attachment studs. The longer side still has all thirteen adjustment holes, and the leather is in relatively good condition, though it does show wear and age. The fittings show oxidation, in line with the condition of the rest of the helmet.

Overall a lovely service used nice late-war M42 Single Decal Heer Army helmet with a great camouflage paint job, completely correct! 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.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.