Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army M40 single decal steel helmet, stamped EF64 and retaining approximately 60% of its wartime lightly textured Panzergrau finish together with an approximately 80% retained Heer eagle decal. The shell is wartime original, while the interior was fitted after the war with a Norwegian manufactured 56cm M31 style liner and matching chinstrap. It is a very attractive service used example with substantial exterior wear, oxidation, and a strong field worn appearance.

The stamped steel shell retains approximately 60% of its original lightly textured Panzergrau paint. The crown has lost most of its finish, exposing areas of steel that have developed oxidation, while the lower skirt and protected areas retain considerably more of the original wartime paint. Additional wear is present around the lower edge and elsewhere across the shell, consistent with extended service use. The interior retains more finish overall, though some oxidation is visible near the rolled steel rim.

The wearer’s left side carries a Heer eagle decal that remains approximately 80% intact. The decal shows scattered wear, chipping, and areas of surface loss, but the protective lacquer topcoat is still largely present and has mellowed to an amber tone with age. The silver portions remain visibly reflective, and most of the eagle’s details are still readily discernible.

The rear interior neck guard is heat lot stamped:

840

The wearer’s left interior apron is stamped:

EF64

The EF manufacturer code identifies Emaillierwerke A.G. of Fulda, Germany, while 64 denotes the shell size. A size 64 shell is generally paired with liners in the approximately 56cm to 57cm range.

All three original liner retaining pins remain present and retain a strong amount of their original paint.

The helmet was fitted after WWII with a Norwegian manufactured leather liner patterned closely after the German M31 design. The liner is marked:

56

The leather has matured to a pleasing chestnut brown color and retains all eight fingers together with the top tie cord. There is light splitting where the leather folds over the rim, but no major losses are noted.

The attached chinstrap is also postwar Norwegian manufacture and remains in very good condition. It shows expected wear from use but is still supple and fully adjustable.

With its original EF64 wartime shell, heat lot 840, approximately 60% surviving Panzergrau finish, strong single Heer decal, original liner pins, and complete postwar Norwegian 56cm liner and chinstrap, this is an appealing service used M40 helmet with a distinctive postwar service history. The substantial crown paint loss, exposed steel oxidation, lower edge wear, decal chipping, interior oxidation, and light liner splitting are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Heer M40 helmet, Emaillierwerke Fulda, German WWII combat helmet, Norwegian postwar reuse, or advanced military headgear collection.

The German Stahlhelm:
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.