West German Steel Helmet

**MD Helmets** · 05-20-2012, 11:04 PM

I'm not gonna lie, I know a little about a lot, but I don't know anything about modern (post WWII) helmets. Can someone give me a hand with this one? I own this one now, but don't have a modern helmet collection, and would like to sell it to someone who has a modern helmet collection, or has use for it in some way, but I want to clarify what it is so I don't make a inaccurate advertisement. Let me know if more pics are needed and of what specific area. Come with the reversible camo cover. Thank you for any help!

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-20-2012 11:04 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Jerry B** · 05-20-2012, 11:12 PM

Looks to be a M1A1 LL Luftlandertruppe, also known as the M1961 for air land/airborne troops, introduced in 1961 for the West German forces, which replaced the earlier post war type that looked like the M38 and this has a similar liner. This example has a different strap system to that in the linked thread and also the mounts for the liner are placed differently, so maybe it's a newer version or something different?

See this thread.

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/steel...11/#post571981

**MD Helmets** · 05-20-2012, 11:23 PM

Checked out that thread. Very similar looking, but I'm thinking mine might be newer?

**Greg Pickersgill** · 05-21-2012, 08:35 AM

No, not a LL (para) helmet at all - that has a very different liner and leather straps secured by bolts through the shell - this is a West German M1A1 type general issue helmet, and may be designated (depending on who you talk to) as the M1A1 Modifiziert or the M81 (opinions vary wildly).

This one is a sort of transitional specimen - see the two rivets per side - in which older shells (that started out with a two-piece chinstrap) have been reworked to take the new liner and new three-point chinstrap. Later, new production models with this three-point chinstrap have only one rivet per side. It would date from the early 1980s, is not especially uncommon, and not especially expensive. The later single side rivet/three point chinstrap examples are somewhat harder to get.

These Bundeswehr helmets are overlooked by many, quite unjustly. Don't know why, they have an interesting history that is actually hard to follow.

**AMTG** · 05-21-2012, 08:46 AM

The camo cover would probaly not be contemporary with this lid, you would likely find scrounged cam from US or British cam, homemade into cam covers for this type of helmet

**MD Helmets** · 05-21-2012, 09:37 AM

Interesting info, and definitely appreciated. The camo cover came with it, but I had no idea if it belonged with it, so I just left it with the helmet.

**Greg Pickersgill** · 05-21-2012, 10:52 AM

The cover is a type that would have been commonly used with this helmet (although a simple net would have been common too). I am rather surprised by AMTG's idea that it might not be, and that the Bundeswehr had to rely on scavenged US or UK castoffs. I've not heard that asserted before.

So far as I know (always happy to be corrected!) the cover you have was introduced in the early 1990s and therefor is more or less contemporaneous with the helmet.

Mind you I am no camo expert, I always have the feeling that they get in the way of me seeing the actual helmet itself.

**oradour** · 05-21-2012, 01:56 PM

I do not know why members do not frequent the Bundeswehr sub section or at the very least search the forum...the answers are there, and have been for some time....a whole thread on BW steel helmets is there for the taking ! it will explain all.....helmetone, your helmet is an M1985 version of the M1A1 Stahlhelm, with correct Flecktarn cover, the first helmet cammo cover issued in the BW in its history, in 1991. Prior to this date, BW soldiers often either scrounged British or U.S. covers or made their own from "Amoebatarn" zeltbahn material......see here for examples, and further info on these much undervalued helmets.. Bundeswehr steel helmets.
Prost ! Steve.