Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic all original example Model 1940 German WWII DAK Afrikakorps helmet, originally field repainted with a lovely dunkelgelb (dark yellow) tropical camouflage paint job. The original color of the helmet is visible on the interior under the liner, with the original tropical color on the underside of the skirt. The top of the helmet had green applied on top of the tropical paint, giving it a fantastic camouflage look that would have been great in the European campaign, where German soldiers who saw service in Africa were later re-deployed.

This helmet was recovered in the field by Staff Sgt. Roy David DeWitt, a member of the 101st Airborne Division's 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion. The helmet comes with a printed copy of his obituary, which includes as picture taking of him in Unken, Austria during June 1945, after V-E Day. In the picture we can see the insignia of the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on his uniform lapels. Definitely some fantastic research potential here!

This stamped sheet steel construction helmet retains about 90% of the original camouflage paint, which has a lovely worn look to it. There are some areas of missing paint and wear, consistent with a helmet that was "really there". The different colors inside and outside the helmet can really help to trace the history of this helmet through the war. Fantastic!

The reverse, interior, neck guard apron is heat lot number stamped 1331, and the interior, left side, apron has the stamped manufacturer's code and size, ET64. This indicates that it was manufactured by Eisenhüttenwerk AG of Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony, Germany. Size 64 is a nice medium size that can accommodate liners from 56cm to 57cm or US 7 to 7 1/8. Size 64 shells are harder to find and are therefore more valuable to a collector.

All three liner retaining pins are intact and retain most of the original DAK paint. The interior of the helmet still has the original M31 leather liner with all eight of its fingers, showing moderate wear from service. The original top tie is present, and fully intact, however it is tied in a non-standard pattern. There also is staining and some aplitting of the leather over the rear left liner rim. The leather is stained there from water exposure, and became delicate, typical of what we usually see on "picked up" helmets. The mid war galvanized steel liner band is marked on the left side with 64 n.A. / 56, indicating a size 56cm liner for a 64cm shell. There is also a 56 stamped on one of the fingers of the liner. It is also maker marked and dated on the other side, partly obscured by dirt:

This puts the helmet right in the middle of the North African Campaign of WWII, possibly into the later campaigns in the Italian Islands and onto the mainland. The chin strap is unfortunately completely missing.

Overall this is an incredible Deutsches Afrikorps M40 Helmet, repainted a bit for use in Europe and then picked up by a known USGI. We rarely get in helmets with such great research potential! These are becoming harder and harder to find on the market. Sure to appreciate in value over the years!

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.

In 1934 tests began on an improved Stahlhelm, whose design was a development of World War I models. The Eisenhüttenwerke company of Thale carried out prototype design and testing, with Dr. Friedrich Schwerd once again taking a hand.

The new helmet was pressed from sheets of molybdenum steel in several stages. The size of the flared visor and skirt was reduced, and the large projecting lugs for the obsolete armor shield were eliminated. The ventilator holes were retained, but were set in smaller hollow rivets mounted to the helmet's shell. The edges of the shell were rolled over, creating a smooth edge along the helmet. Finally, a completely new leather suspension, or liner, was incorporated that greatly improved the helmet's safety, adjustability, and comfort for each wearer. These improvements made the new M1935 helmet lighter, more compact, and more comfortable to wear than the previous designs.

The Army's Supreme Command officially accepted the new helmet on June 25, 1935 and it was intended to replace all other helmets in service.

The M1935 design was slightly modified in 1940 to simplify its construction, the manufacturing process now incorporating more automated stamping methods. The principal change was to stamp the ventilator hole mounts directly onto the shell, rather than utilizing separate fittings. In other respects, the M1940 helmet was identical to the M1935. The Germans still referred to the M1940 as the M1935, while the M1940 designation were given by collectors.

The last wartime upgrade to the standard helmet took place on 6 July 1942 at the request of the Army High Command. The rolled edge found on M1935 and M1940 helmets was discontinued as a measure of economy. On 1 August 1942 the first M1942 helmets were placed into production, and this was the model produced until late in the war, when most factories were captured or stood idle due to material shortages.