M40 Single Decal SS Helmet Q66

Product Description: Here’s a very nice Single Decal SS Helmet. This helmet was manufactured by the company of “Quist” which is what the “Q” stamping on the under side of the helmet stands for. The lot number is 31422, which matches exactly to two other documented Q66 SS Helmets in the Lot Number Database. The size of this helmet is a larger and more disable size of 66. The liner of this helmet has a worn, but clean look to it. The leather has signs of sweat and oil conditioning from it being worn for some period of time. The SS decal on the helmet rates roughly 90%, and has a patina which matches the rest of the helmet. If you look very closely at the close-up photo of the decal, you will see where the lower left tip of the left rune is still just barely there next to the scrape. This rune tip is one of the indicators this is a Quist decal. The exterior of this single decal SS helmet features a rough textured “feldgrau” paint, with some ares of flaking. The chinstrap is full length with 13 adjustment holes and is dated 1941.

Also to note, it appears that the inside dome of the helmet has been cleaned with something like steel wool most likely to remove some surface rust. We do not believe that the liner was removed to do this as we can see where the scrubbed area stops before it gets to the area where the steel liner band is, please see the photos we took showing this area. It is also our observation that because of the scrubbed interior dome and bit more paint loss on the exterior dome, this helmet most likely sat upside down for a period of time. This could also explain why the rest of the helmet seems mostly unaffected. The scrubbing of the interior dome does not at all detract from the displaying of the helmet. This is still a very nice, and tough to find, Single Decal SS Helmet that would make an excellent addition to any collection.

Historical Description: When the German Army first marched into war in 1914 it went to the front lines wearing the traditional “Picklehaube” helmets. The war soon developed to necessitate the need for an improved headgear to protect the wearer. The German Army developed the M16 helmet in 1915 and began issuing it in mass quantity to its fighting troops in 1916. The M16 underwent changes to bring about the next model, the M18. Both the M16 and M18 saw use by the German Army during WW1, as well as the interwar years by the Reichswehr and Freikorps. In 1931, a new liner system was developed. The M16 and M18 helmets were in mass supply right up to the time the Nazi Party took control of the German government. During Adolf Hitler’s rearming of the German military in the early 1930’s, the M16 and M18 helmets saw extensive refitting with the newer liner system, fresh paint, and the addition of a centralized decal system for the newly formed Wehrmacht’s respective branches. Decals were generally placed on each side of the helmet, one side being the branch and the other the national colors shield or party shield. In 1935, the M35 helmet was introduced. This new design was lighter and more streamlined than the older style helmets and is what the world now recognizes as the iconic helmet of the German Military. M35 helmets can most easily be identified from the separate rivet ventholes and rolled eadges. With the outbreak of war, some changes were made to bring in a new model, the M40. The changes made to this new model was the use of a more matte field grey finish and the vent holes were now integral to the helmets shell. In 1940, the national colors decals and party shields were ordered to be removed. It should be noted that many M35 helmets were brought up to date by repainting them with the matte field grey finish and/or other modifications if necessary. These refitted helmets are what collectors now term “reissue helmets”. The next model helmet to evolve was the M42. The model M42 has the same features of the M40 with the exception of the edges of the helmet not being rolled and remain flared. This was to speed up production and lower cost as the war dragged on and the German economy began changing to a total war economy. In 1943 all decals were ordered to be removed from combat helmets.

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