Observations :
- Factory produced M35, M40 and M42 have the same paint color as Heer/Polizei and Kriegsmarine helmets.
- The NS and SE/HKP factories did not produce SS helmets , if you find one of these makers with an SS decal it should be the Pocher decal. But nevertheless be careful !
- EF predominantly produced M42’s
- Medium duty helmet also called M34’s always carry a Pocher decal and have a party shield on the other side.
SCROLL DOWN FOR EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT HELMETS
Allgemeine SS helmet – M16 Austrian shell
- Originally this helmet was an Austrian Police helmet , the holes on the side would hold the Austrian bomb badge.
- Painted satin black for the SS , note that the interior under the leather still has the original green paint.
- Carries the Pocher SS runes and party shield
Photos courtesy of DougB
M16 Austrian shell
- This a very rare helmet with mirror SS runes
- The decal set is typically Austrian
- There are several theories as to why mirror SS runes were printed but we don’t know at this time the exact reason :
- The most probable reason is that in Austria the SS were outlawed prior to the Anschluss (1938) and this mirror rune was a clever ruse to still show the runes.
Photos courtesy of helmet2id
Medium Duty Edelstahl helmet
- EDELSTAHL marked
- These helmets were worn by members of the SD (Sicherheitsdienst).
- Has the typical Pocher SS decal , the only instance were a Pocher SS decal is always used.
- The helmet would have had a civil style helmet liner.
Quist (Q) size 66 – M35
- Lot number 1136
- Carries Pocher decals on both sides
- Named to Bielski in the skirt
- The owner of the helmet has tried to research Bielski , this is what he found :
Johann Bielski, RuSHA file number A3343-SS-A0017
There is only one Bielski in the entire SS rolls. He was a stateless Polish Volksdeutsche who was born 6 May 1910 in Deutschdorf, Kreis Schildberg, Poland.
On 28 Sept. 1944, Bielski volunteered for duty at the Wehrbezirks-Kommando (WBK) Dortmund I, the Recruiting Sub-Area Headquarters located in Dortmund-Aplerbeck. The WBK recruited personnel for all branches of the Wehrmacht, including the SS.
Bielski’s induction unit was to be Pi.Ers.u.Ausb.B.26. However two weeks later, on 5 Oct. 1944, WBK Dortmund issued a dispatch to the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) SD Einwanderer-Zentrale Litzmannstadt, confirming Bielski’s German ethnicity.
Photos courtesy of RoyA
Eisenhüttenwerke Thale (ET) size 66 – M35
- Lot number 4395
- 1939 dated liner band
- Carries Pocher decals
- Bought from the US veteran’s daughter by the current owner
Photos courtesy of RonR
Eisenhüttenwerke Thale (ET) size 64 – M35
- Lot number 4501
- 1939 Dated liner band
- Originally had a Party shield on the other side but it was carefully removed.
- ET decal
Quist (Q) size 64 – M35
- Lot number 803
- Quist style runes
- Helmet came out of the woodwork in 2022 , was left behind in Groningen in April 1945
Photos courtesy of war museum Middelstum / Oorlogsmuseum Middelstum
Quist (Q) size 62 – M40
- Lot number T745
- Quist SS decal
Quist (Q) size 66 – M40
- Lot number IN243 (the jury is still out if this is a misstamped DN lotnumber)
- 1943 Dated liner band. Pig skin leather.
- Quist SS decal
Emaillierwerke A.G.Fulda (EF) size 62 M42 – Foreign volunteer
- Lot number unreadable
- This helmet came out of the factory as a Polizei helmet with 2 decals
- An SS Pocher shield has been applied on top of the Polizei eagle , such a practice was done by foreign volunteer units.
Photos courtesy of helmet2id
Emaillierwerke A.G.Fulda (EF) size 64 M42
- Lot number 2244
- ET style decal (one of the 2 SS decal styles found on EF M42 helmets)
Photos courtesy of KenB
Emaillierwerke A.G.Fulda (EF) size 62 M42
- 4 digit lot number not fully readable but starts with 217
- 1942 Dated liner band
- ET style decal (one of the 2 SS decal styles found on EF M42 helmets)
Emaillierwerke A.G.Fulda (EF) size 64 M42
- Lot number 2719
- EF decal
- This helmet was brought back by Captain John Simms (dentist in the 17th general hospital based in Italy from Oct 1943 to Oct 1945)
- Most probably this helmet belonged to a soldier of the 16th SS Panzergrenadier division.
Emaillierwerke A.G.Fulda (EF) size 66 M42
- Lot number 35881
- EF runes in very good condition
Photos courtesy of RoyA
Eisenhüttenwerke Thale (ckl) size 62 – M42
- Lot number 2768
- 1943 Dated liner band
- ET decal
- This helmet is stamped as a size ckl 64 but is actually a size 62 as it has the 54 sized leather.
- This was one of the first Lot numbers of which I found “brother” helmets. At the moment I have in my list 4 helmets , 3 SS and 1 Heer. All stamped ckl64 with 54 leathers. So clearly a unique production error.
