Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe single decal M40 steel helmet manufactured by F.W. Quist GmbH of Esslingen, stamped Q64, and fitted with a 1941 dated size 57 M31 liner and an intact original chinstrap. The shell retains most of its lightly textured Fliegerblau, or Flyer’s Blue, finish, while the Luftwaffe eagle decal remains approximately 60% complete.

The original textured Luftwaffe finish is very well retained overall, with scuffing and wear concentrated particularly across the top of the shell. There is no major paint loss beyond normal service and storage wear, and the interior finish is especially well preserved with only localized oxidation.

The Luftwaffe eagle decal retains approximately 60% of its original surface. The clear top coating has yellowed with age, giving the decal a warm toned appearance. Portions of both wings are chipped away and the tail is missing, while the main body and swastika remain intact and clearly visible.

The left interior skirt is stamped:

Q64

indicating that it was manufactured by F.W. Quist G.m.b.H. in the German city of Esslingen. Size 64 is a nice smaller 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 skirt is lot numbered:

T1078

The two front liner retaining split pins remain present, while the rear pin is missing. The surviving pins appear to have nickel plated steel heads. The right front pin has lost most of its painted finish, while the left retains approximately 60%.

The original leather M31 liner retains all eight fingers as well as its top tie string. The leather has developed an attractive chestnut brown tone and remains supple, with no significant tearing or dry rot noted. There is minor wear where the leather folds over the liner band, and the rear of the liner is named:

Gefr. Braun

The reinforced aluminum liner band is marked:

64 n.A. / 57

indicating a size 57 liner fitted to a size 64 shell. The opposite side of the liner band is clearly marked:

Metall-Lederverarbeitung W.Z.
1941
Bln.- Ch'burg 5

identifying manufacture by Werner Zahn of Berlin-Charlottenburg in 1941. Although galvanized steel liner bands had entered production by this period, Werner Zahn continued to manufacture aluminum liner components after the general transition, making a 1941 dated reinforced aluminum band entirely plausible for an early wartime M40 helmet.

The original chinstrap remains complete with all thirteen adjustment holes and retains its wartime metal buckle and attachment fittings. The leather shows age wrinkling and general service wear but remains intact. The end of the longer section is marked:

O. REICHEL
LENGEFELD

for Otto Reichel of Lengefeld.

Overall this is a very attractive Luftwaffe M40 retaining a strong amount of its original textured Flyer’s Blue finish, a substantial single eagle decal, 1941 dated size 57 Werner Zahn liner, complete named leather, and intact maker marked chinstrap. The missing rear liner pin, decal loss, finish wear, localized oxidation, and minor liner wear are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Luftwaffe helmet, M40, Quist, named German WWII headgear, or advanced combat helmet collection.

More on 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.