Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe M38 Fallschirmjäger paratrooper helmet in heavily service used condition, retaining a substantial amount of its original lightly textured Feldgrau field gray exterior finish and a relic condition aluminum band liner assembly. The helmet is rear lot numbered 4267 and measures approximately as a size 68 shell, although the original maker and size stamping is no longer legible due to interior oxidation.

The liner assembly appears to be the welded aluminum second pattern type rather than the earlier riveted construction. Only remnants of the original leather liner and chinstrap remain. The leather has shrunk considerably with age and has pulled portions of the aluminum liner band inward.

The helmet is fitted with later pattern slotted aluminum liner attachment bolts. At the rear, steel outer nuts are positioned against the liner band, with aluminum inner bolts retaining remnants of the chinstrap. The side attachment points each retain a single steel nut or bolt that has oxidized firmly in place.

The mixture of liner components and later attachment hardware is consistent with a helmet that saw extended use and may have undergone liner replacement or repair during its service life. Without documented wartime records, the exact date and circumstances of any such work cannot be established.

The exterior shell retains a good amount of its original lightly textured Feldgrau combat finish. The surface shows extensive honest wear, scattered oxidation, scratches, and several dents consistent with prolonged use.

No surviving decal is visible on the shell.

The interior finish is substantially more deteriorated, with much of the original paint missing, particularly inside the dome. Extensive surface oxidation is present throughout the interior and has obscured the original maker and shell size markings.

Because the stamped size cannot be read, the shell was measured externally at approximately 69cm in circumference. This measurement is consistent with a size 68 shell, though the original factory size marking can no longer be confirmed directly.

The rear skirt is clearly stamped with lot number:

4267

All paratrooper helmets were produced by Eisenhüttenwerke AG of Thale Harz, Germany. The lot number on this helmet indicates (according to Ken Niewariarowicz's work Germany’s Combat Helmets 1933-1934: A Modern Study) that it was manufactured between 1938 (mid-3,000 range) to 1940 (low 5,000 range). The M38 helmets were made in three shell sizes, 66, 68, and 71, and the size 71 shell was used with liner sizes 59-61cm.

Being that this helmet was made between 1938-1940 means that this helmet could have quite possibly been present for some of the early engagements that the Fallschirmjägers were famous for; such as the successful raid on the fortress of Eben-Emael, or the Invasion of Crete. Needless to say, this helmet was used for years, and could have changed hands, being reissued to one Fallschirmjäger or another, a few times.

Overall condition is strongly service worn, with the exterior retaining substantial original finish while the liner, chinstrap, and interior surfaces have deteriorated considerably. The surviving relic liner components, later pattern attachment hardware, dents, oxidation, and worn finish give the helmet the appearance of a piece that remained in use for an extended period.

With its original M38 Fallschirmjäger shell, lot number 4267, substantial surviving textured Feldgrau finish, relic welded aluminum liner band, later slotted attachment bolts, and approximate size 68 shell, this is a particularly interesting service used Luftwaffe paratrooper helmet. The missing decal, illegible maker and size stamp, heavily deteriorated liner and chinstrap, extensive interior oxidation, dents, and uncertain liner replacement history are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger, M38 paratrooper helmet, early war airborne equipment, relic liner, or advanced German WWII helmet collection.

Fallschirmjägerhelm M38

Fallschirmjägerhelm M38 ( M38 Heisler / M38 ) - was a German steel paratrooper helmet intended for Fallschirmjäger airborne units from World War II. Originally, the German airborne troops used the standard Stahlhelm M35 helmets throughout the German Army . It soon turned out, however, that this helmet was not suitable for parachuting, as it caused significant air resistance during the jump. A too loosely fastened helmet could have been torn from the jumper's head, and if it was tightly fastened it could cause suffocation.

Therefore, from 1936, work was carried out at the Eisenhüttenwerke factory to create a helmet dedicated specifically to the airborne troops. Their effect was a parachute helmet designed by engineer Karl Heisler, which under the designation M38 was adopted by the army.

The M38 helmet was derived from the standard M35 helmet. However, it was smaller, more streamlined and with a significantly reduced hood. The front part of the hood was only marked, and the rear part was shortened to 1.8 cm. (in experimental versions - 2 cm). The rims of the bell were rolled up. The helmet bell was made in a series of operations from one piece of steel sheet 1.5 mm thick. It was produced in sizes marked as 66, 68 and 71.

The internal equipment of the experimental versions of the helmet was identical to that of the standard M35 helmet. In the version adopted for equipment, a new type of fascia was used, which better protected against possible injuries. For this purpose, the bell walls were additionally lined with a shock-absorbing micro-rubber insert cut into 7 "arms" with a thickness of 10 to 13 mm. The actual fit was in the form of a leather cap with round holes cut for ventilation. Both the micro-rubber insert and the leather cap were attached to an aluminum rim with a thickness of 1 mm. All interior fittings were bolted with four screws to the helmet bell.

A new type of lining was also used in the parachute helmet. The standard two-point suspension was replaced with a four-point "Y" -shaped suspension, which ensured better fit of the helmet on the head. In the model adopted as an accessory, the straps of the lining were widened to 20 mm and latches were introduced to protect the helmet against accidental unfastening.

The helmet's bell was initially painted gray-blue. A national-colored shield on the right side and a Luftwaffe eagle decal on the left side were put on. Later during the war, the bell was painted gray-green or sand colored. Various covers and masking nets were also used. In winter conditions, the helmet bell was painted white.

Polish tankers from the 2nd Corps of the Polish Armed Forces in the West would use captured M38 helmets. The reason for this was their small size and the fact that they fit very tightly to the head. However, they were strictly forbidden to use them, as it happened that their own infantry mistook the tankers leaving their vehicles as Germans and opened fire on them.