BACKGROUND: With the advent of military aircraft in WWI most of the early pilots soon discovered that appropriate protective headgear was a necessity due to the cold and the all too frequent occurrence of oil leaking into the slipstream and covering the pilot. Originally the German military was caught unprepared and no specific headgear or uniforms for pilots were available. This resulted in the pilots utilizing commercially produced motor car helmets. These tight fitting, soft leather helmets proved to be ideal and future flight helmets were basically modified versions of the early motor car helmets. During WWII the Luftwaffe utilized no fewer then ten slightly different models of flight helmets with the main modifications being helmets issued for summer or winter wear and helmets with or without integral radio communication fittings. The LKpW101 model helmet was designed for winter wear and was outfitted with radio equipment as used by fighter pilots and bomber commanders. The LKpW101 model helmet was basically identical to the earlier LKpW100 model but with improved communications equipment.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, five panel, brown, grained kid leather construction winter flight helmet with integral communications equipment and a white sheep’s wool lining. The helmet has a three point oxygen mask attachment layout consisting of a partially tunnel looped, adjustable fabric strap with an alloy gripper buckle to the reverse and an alloy loop to the obverse positioned at the top center of the helmet and a protruding sheet metal hook to either side positioned just below the earphones. The bottom forward edge of each side of the helmet has an extended leather chinstrap with a chamois and wool reverse with corresponding, pronged, sheet metal closure buckles and horizontal leather retaining loops all intact. The bottom forward edge of the left side of the helmet also has a small horizontal slash designed to pass the right side chinstrap through before buckling for a secure closure. Each side of the helmet has earphone receivers housed in extended, vertically oval, leather covered panels. The reverse side panels of the helmet each have an external, vertical, leather strap with a single snap closure and a horizontal retaining loop designed to secure a pair of flight goggles. The reverse nape of the neck of helmet has a tunnel looped, fabric and spring fit adjustment strap with corresponding buttons to each side. The reverse nape of the neck of helmet also has a short, extended, black rubberized electrical communications wire with a four pronged break coupling plug in a molded black bakelite housing. The plug was designed to fit into the aircraft’s radio control outlet. The bakelite plug housing is well marked with the embossed Luftwaffe parts numeral, "BLK v Fl27560", an unknown, embossed, stylized manufacturers logo and the impressed marking, "BAL", with numerals within an octagonal border indicating, Beschaffungs Amt Luftwaffe, (Air-Force Procurement Office). The reverse of the helmet also has dual, extended, leather straps with sheet metal fit adjustment buckles and internal electrical wires with dual, integral, carbon Mi4a throat microphones in molded brown and black bakelite housings. The microphone straps also have a sliding, fit adjustment sheet metal gripper buckle and a single female snap to the left side with a corresponding male snap to the right side. The straps were designed to fit snugly around the wearers neck with the microphones situated so they rested against the wearers larynx. The bakelite microphone housings are well marked with the impressed designation, "Mi4a", the Luftwaffe parts numeral, "Ln. 26779-2", and the unknown stylized, manufacturers initials. The interior of the helmet is fully lined in white sheep’s wool with a natural tan leather chamois panel to the front forehead section and earphone cut-outs. The interior of the helmet also has two, small, white rayon label with blue and black machine woven script and red inkstamps. One label has the machine woven Luftwaffe parts numeral, "Ln 26618", the model, "Baumuster Lkp.W.101", and communications manufactures name and location, De Fe WE Deutschee Telephonwerke und Kabel Industrie A.G. Berlin S.O.36" and red inkstamps that include, "BAL", and date, "2. Jan 1939". The other label has the machine woven helmet manufactures name and location, "Striegel & Wagner Kom.-Ges. Lichtensfels/Bayer.Ostmark", and the red inkstamped size, "54". The helmet is in overall good condition with areas of light to moderate chafe wear, light to moderate age and usage toning and light to heavy surface spotting to some of the metal fittings. All the components are intact and the leather is still very supple and pliable.

GRADE ***1/2                                 PRICE $795.00