Original Item: Only One Available. This is an very good service used condition example of a hard to find genuine steel construction M35 "Beaded" Third Reich helmet, outfitted for German WWII Luftschutz Civil Air Defense use. These helmets were essentially like the Military issue, however the steel was not as thick or as high quality. They were given a "bead" around the edge, to avoid mixing them up with the military version.

The exterior of this German helmet retains over 90% of the original dark blue paint, showing light overall wear, with some scuffing and scratching across the top of of the dome, as well as some specks of oxidation. It looks to have been repainted during the war, possibly several times, which would not be out of the ordinary for such an early helmet. We did not see any major dents, though there is a bit of deformation to the lower skirt in areas. The LUFTSCHUTZ decal is still present and retained at over 95%, showing just abit of flaking and wear. The three liner attachment split pins are all present, and retain almost all of the original paint, with the large cork spacer washers still in place.

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is lot number stamped 4751 and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer's code and size EF66, indicating that it was manufactured by Emaillierwerke AG, of Fulda, Germany. Later in the war, the maker mark would be moved to the rear of the helmet. 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.

The interior of the helmet has a civic issue nine finger liner, which does not have any size marked, and looks to be made from some type of treated fabric similar to oil cloth. There are vents in the forehead area, and there is a twine top tie still installed. The chinstrap is made from clear early plastic, and shows cracking and deterioration from age. The buckle is intact, and fully functional.

M35 Beaded Luftschutz helmets are one of the rarer varieties of the Luftschutz style and hard to find. This is a very nice example, and sure to appreciate in value over the years.

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 organization's 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.