Description
The first “modern” steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915. The German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915, experimenting with both captured French and British helmets. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. In 1935, the Third Reich developed the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet, and then in an effort to reduce construction time and labor costs, minor modifications were introduced in March 1940 resulting in the M40 helmet. Further construction modifications were undertaken in August 1942 resulting in the M42 helmet.
Made of stamped steel, this M42 Combat Helmet is in EXCELLENT Vet Bring-Back condition! It retains 95% of it’s original paint and finish, but there is some obvious patina, corrosion, marks, and wear due to the age. The liner is the original to this helmet (heavily sweat stained), however the chin strap is a post-war replacement. It is marked “ET66”, with the serial number, “3523”. The RARE feature is that is still retains the original dome inspection stamp (see last photo for reference). This type of stamp was ONLY used in ET or CKL helmets in the 1200-4000 batch, making it VERY RARE! It is quite blurry/faded, but 100% identifiable! A VERY NICE untouched original M42, PERFECT item for any collection or display! |
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