BACKGROUND: 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, (Iron and Foundry Works), AG Thale/Harz, 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. In an effort to reduced construction time and labor costs minor modifications were introduced in March 1940 resulting in the M40 helmet. The M35 had an inserted ventilation bushing positioned on each side of the helmet and a rolled bottom edge while the M40 eliminated the bushings and replaced them by stamping the ventilation eyelets directly into the helmet, although it still retained the rolled bottom edge. Further construction modifications were undertaken in August 1942 resulting in the M42 helmet. The M42 retained the stamped ventilation eyelets as found on the M40 helmets but eliminated the bottom, rolled edge. The Luftwaffe, (Air-{Weapon}, Force), 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 18^TH 1934, and adopted for wear by the Luftwaffe on March 1^ST 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 12^TH 1940 discontinued the use of the national tri-color decal and dictated that the national eagle was to be in a subdued blue/grey coloration. The June 12^TH 1940 regulations also altered the original, smooth finished, blue/grey paint to a slightly rough textured, blue/grey paint for front line personnel. Further regulations of August 28^TH 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.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The stamped, sheet steel construction, M40 pattern helmet retains about 65% of its heavily age and usage darkened, slightly rough textured, Luftwaffe blue/grey paint with numerous small, surface scuffs and scrapes and moderate to heavy surface spotting bleed through, through-out. The helmet also has a couple of runs of age yellowed white paint and an additional couple of small splotches of a brighter white paint. The left side of the helmet has a second pattern, (Circa 1936/1937-1945), black detailed, silvery/white, Luftwaffe eagle decal, clutching a canted swastika in one talon. The age and usage yellowed decal is retained about 80% with a few small scuffs and scrapes. All three liner retaining rivets are intact. The interior of the helmet still has a smooth Luftwaffe blue/grey painted finish and shows moderate moderate to heavy surface spotting bleed through, through-out. The interior of the helmet also has a heavily age and usage darkened, M31, tan, leather liner with all eight of it’s fingers and a replaced tie string intact. The liner is quite dry and fragile with heavy surface cracking through-out and moderate to heavy dry rot and chafe wear to the bottom edge. The stitched seam to the reverse of the liner has come un-stitched and the liner has no visible size marking. The reverse, interior, neck guard apron has a partially illegible, stamped serial number that appears to be, "481" and the interior, left side, apron has the faint, stamped manufacturer’s code and size that appears to be, "SE62", indicating manufacture by Sächsische Emaillier-und Stanzwerke, AG Lauter, (Saxon Enamel and Die/Metal Stamp Works), size 62. The helmet comes with two, small sections of a blackened leather chinstrap with a pronged, natural steel length adjustment buckle and both of the natural alloy retaining studs intact. The chinstrap buckle shows moderate surface spotting and is bent out of shape.