Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe M40 single decal steel helmet, stamped Q66 and complete with its original 1942 dated 58cm liner. It retains most of its original lightly textured Fliegerblau blue gray finish, an exceptionally strong Luftwaffe eagle decal retained at over 90%, all three original liner retaining pins, and its original eight-finger leather liner. The helmet has a very appealing service used appearance with honest paint wear, interior oxidation, and age toned decal surfaces.

The stamped steel shell retains most of its original lightly textured Luftwaffe Fliegerblau paint. The finish shows scattered scuffing and wear, particularly across the crown, but no major exterior damage beyond normal service and storage wear. The interior has suffered greater finish loss, with oxidation beneath the paint causing substantial flaking across the inside of the dome.

The wearer’s left side carries its original Luftwaffe eagle decal, which remains more than 90% intact. There is light wear, minor scratching and scuffing, and some age related discoloration. The decal surface has also developed checking with age, giving it a well matured appearance.

The rear interior neck guard is heat lot stamped:

T1415

The wearer’s left interior apron is stamped:

Q66

The Q manufacturer code identifies F. W. Quist G.m.b.H. of Esslingen, Germany, while 66 denotes the shell size. A size 66 shell is typically paired with approximately 58cm to 59cm liners.

All three original liner retaining pins remain intact. Much of the original paint has worn from their heads, leaving an oxidized patina. The appearance suggests the pins may have had a plated surface beneath the paint, although the exact original finish is not established here.

The helmet retains its original leather liner with all eight fingers present. One finger is nearly split through and is now quite delicate. The original top tie is missing. The leather has developed an attractive chestnut brown color and shows additional splitting where it folds over the liner band.

The leather is the thicker later style commonly associated with wartime pigskin type liners. The galvanized steel liner band is marked on the wearer’s left side:

66 n.A. / 58

indicating a size 58 liner installed in a size 66 shell.

The wearer’s right side of the liner band is marked:

B. & C.
LITZMANNSTADT
1942

This identifies manufacture by Biedermann & Czarnikow and dates the liner to 1942. This was a German company who moved operations to Łódź in occupied Poland to take advantage of the slave labor in the ghetto located there. NSDAP authorities renamed Łódź to Litzmannstadt in honor of the German General Karl Litzmann who had captured the city in the previous World War.

There is no chinstrap installed.

With its Quist Q66 shell, heat lot T1415, strong single Luftwaffe decal retained at over 90%, original lightly textured Fliegerblau finish, 1942 dated B. & C. liner band, and original 58cm eight-finger leather liner, this is a very appealing service used M40 Luftwaffe helmet. The crown scuffing, interior paint flaking and oxidation, worn liner pin heads, nearly split liner finger, missing top tie, additional leather splitting, and absent chinstrap are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Luftwaffe M40 helmet, F. W. Quist, 1942 dated combat headgear, single decal helmet, or advanced German WWII helmet collection.

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.