Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of an early WWII German Single Decal M-38 Fallschirmjäger Helmet, which was then restored post war by the addition of a Czech-made liner and chinstrap system. It has the correct two piece leather lining, foam rubber padding, and aluminum frame. It was aged and conditioned when installed in the helmet so that it looks like the real thing. The shell, decal, and liner retention spanner nuts are original German WWII production.

After the war was over, a booming market grew in Europe focused on collecting German WWII militaria. M38 Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger (Paratrooper) Helmets were particularly in demand, both due to the rarity and to the nearly legendary status of the units. This led businesses in the Czech area of Czechoslovakia to tool up and begin production of high end museum grade replica M38 helmets, as well as liners for restoring original shells. These were made very close to the German specifications, and the "Czech Version" replicas are still among the best ever produced, and are quite desirable on the market even today.

The exterior shell of the helmet shows a fantastic wear pattern, and retains about 50% of the original smooth early war Apfelgrün (apple green) paint, with the rest of the surface showing an oxidized patina. The interior shows a bit more paint loss, and has rust in places, so this helmet was most likely a "battlefield pickup" sitting upside down and collecting water before a new liner was fit. The shell is the real deal, and it even still has the remnants of the original Luftwaffe Eagle Decal on the left side! It is retained probably at about 40%, as it wore along with the exterior paint.

The side of the interior shell is stamped ET68 and the rear of the skirt is stamped with the steel lot number 4851. All paratrooper helmets were produced by Eisenhüttenwerke AG of Thale Harz, Germany, and this is the correct early war maker code that they used. This lot number indicates that the helmet was produced some time in 1940 - 1942. The helmet shells were produced in three sizes, 66, 68 and 71, and this is the middle size 68cm shell with replica Czech Liner.

The liner itself looks great, and has been aged perfectly to match the condition of the shell. It has faded ink stamp markings, which we unfortunately are unable to read. The replica chin strap is complete with all snaps and buckles functional.

A great service used German WWII M38 Paratrooper Helmet Shell, restored post and ready to add to your collection and display!

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.