Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe double decal M35 steel helmet with a 1st Pattern droop tail eagle decal, national colors decal, 1937 dated 56cm M31 liner, and ET64 shell stamped with lot number 3340. The helmet retains approximately 60% of its early smooth semi-gloss Fliegerblau, or Flyer’s Blue, finish and shows extensive honest service wear throughout.

The stamped steel M35 shell retains approximately 60% of its original early Luftwaffe Flyer’s Blue finish. The surface is smooth and semi-gloss rather than the later textured type. There appears to be an additional layer over portions of the exterior, possibly an old clear lacquer applied by a collector or a lighter secondary paint layer. This coating has yellowed noticeably across the front and is flaking in numerous areas. The helmet also shows extensive scuffs, scrapes, and finish loss, but no major dents or structural shell damage are noted.

The left side carries a 1st Pattern Luftwaffe eagle decal with the characteristic early droop tail configuration. Approximately 75% of the decal remains. The tail itself is almost entirely missing, but the surviving proportions and configuration are consistent with the 1st Pattern eagle. The remaining decal shows edge wear, abrasion, and age related loss.

The right side retains approximately 25% of the national colors decal, with substantial chipping and large areas completely missing. The surviving portions nevertheless confirm the helmet’s original double decal configuration.

The left interior skirt is stamped:

ET64

identifying manufacture by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. Size 64 is a nice medium size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector. The rear interior skirt is stamped:

3340

for the heat lot number.

All three liner retaining pins remain present. Most of their original exterior finish has worn away, but traces of both blue finishes are visible, consistent with their having remained with the helmet through its long service and storage history.

The helmet retains its M31 leather liner with all eight fingers present and still supple. The top tie string is missing. The leather has aged to a dark chestnut brown color and shows rim wear, staining, wrinkling, and normal service use.

The aluminum liner band is an early pattern example with single ply side sections. A square aluminum chinstrap loop remains attached on the right side, while the corresponding left side loop has torn out. There is also a crack around one of the liner band slots at the rear left.

The left exterior of the liner band is marked:

64 n.A. / 56

indicating a 56cm liner assembly intended for a size 64 helmet shell.

The right side of the liner band is marked:

Metall-Lederverarbeitung W.Z.
1937
Bln.- Ch'burg 5

identifying manufacture by the metal and leather working company Werner Zahn of Berlin-Charlottenburg in 1937. This date and early aluminum band construction are appropriate for an early M35 Luftwaffe helmet.

No chinstrap is currently installed.

With its ET64 Thale shell, lot number 3340, surviving early smooth Flyer’s Blue finish, 1st Pattern droop tail Luftwaffe eagle, national colors decal, and 1937 dated Werner Zahn 56cm aluminum band liner, this is a strong early double decal Luftwaffe M35 helmet. The uncertain exterior overcoat, yellowing and flaking, decal loss, missing liner tie, torn left chinstrap loop, cracked liner band slot, and absent chinstrap are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Luftwaffe helmet, early M35, double decal, ET / Thale production, or advanced German WWII headgear collection.

German Luftwaffe Helmets
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.

The Luftwaffe pattern national eagle was originally introduced for wear by Fliegerschaft, (Pilot Base), personnel of the DLV, Deutscher Luftsportsverband, (German Air Sports Association), the clandestine, civilian, forerunner of the Luftwaffe on August 18TH 1934, and adopted for wear by the Luftwaffe on March 1ST 1935 along with the national tri-color shield for wear on the helmet.

The first pattern national eagle was utilized until a modified second pattern eagle was introduced in late 1936 or early 1937. Regulations of June 12TH 1940 discontinued the use of the national tri-color decal and further regulations of August 28TH 1943 abolished the national eagle decal and dictated that it was also to be removed from all helmets although the directives were not completely adhered to.