Stahlhelm use by Luftwaffe aircrew

[BlackCat1982]

I apologise if the pictures are familiar to the forum, or have been seen before. I thought they’d be of interest mainly due to the unusual headgear in use.



The sequence appears in 2nd February 1941 issue of Signal magazine. In this case the Danish issue.









Hopefully the pictures speak for themselves. Dornier DO17 crew as photographed by PK Grimm over England.

[Kohima]

Some units would cut away or hammer out the sides of the skirt, sometimes remove the liner, and perhaps fit an extra long chinstrap, all to accommodate the bulk of the flight helmet and its enormous headphones.

I once had the opportunity to buy such a modified example, marked to a Kampfgeschwader Fliegerhorst on the chinstrap, but it was unfortunately beyond my financial grasp at the time…

[Kohima]

A splendid example of a more professionally modified helmet (perhaps, purpose-built, rather than modified), with the painted clog markings of Zerstörergeschwader 26.

Still beyond my grasp!

[BlackCat1982]

A splendid example of a more professionally modified helmet (perhaps, purpose-built, rather than modified), with markings for Zerstörergeschwader 26.

Still beyond my grasp!

I'm sure Frank (Schwerpunkt) can advise but that looks similar to an M18 cutout, although the liner fixing is clearly different. Very interesting lid.

[kradman]

Interesting also with the two air vents

[Adrian]

Another Luftwaffe stahlhelm for aircrew on Ratisbon's next auction with a liner to accommodate the leather flight helmet.

[Danmark]

Interesting also with the two air vents

Yes, not something any backyard Benny could do ....never seen one before, wonder which factory made it?

[Kohima]

It is described (on Ratisbon’s), as appearing to be stamped ET66, “though this is very hard to find”.
The description mentions that these were issued in 1944/45, and yet it bears a 1940 chinstrap (which, of course, could have been replaced at any time).
Certainly a fascinating helmet, with a paucity of reference. Another example is owned by Anders Skötte; his bearing an Rb.Nr. and painted blue-grey, with a Y-shaped chinstrap arrangement, so it certainly appears to be a later experimental or limited production item.

[MAP]

My view is that these are all unit level creations. This hard to authenticate individual example.

They are cool though