M40 Luftwaffe Normandy Camo Helmet

Product Description: This is an absolutely stunning Normandy camo helmet with tremendous character. This started life as a standard issue Luftwaffe M40. The original, textured dark blue paint on the exterior was oversprayed with a typical Normandy camouflage scheme of light green, red and tan. These camouflage colors remain very vibrant, giving this Normandy camo helmet loads of eye appeal. The single Luftwaffe decal was carefully painted around when the camouflage finish was applied. This helmet was obviously used after the camouflage was applied, as the new paint is worn through in small areas. Between the original factory finish and the wartime applied field camouflage paint, the exterior paint coverage is about 95 percent. It shows an even, typical age patina. The decal shows wear, and is about 60 percent intact, with some toning. The liner fastening rivets show typical wear. The interior of this Normandy camo helmet is also in excellent condition. The original liner is still present; the split pins show no signs of having been bent, and there is a lot of built up patination between the liner band and shell, typical for an untouched worn helmet. The liner is completely intact, with minor age toning, and is complete with its original drawstring. The helmet also retains its original full length chin strap. The inside of the skirt is stamped with the lot number “8885” and “SE 64,” indicating the manufacturer and size. This Normandy camo helmet is without question a top-shelf example, all-original, with gorgeous, textbook camouflage paint and a lovely field used look.

Historical Description: The helmets used by WWII German soldiers were issued with a variety of solid paint colors applied at the factory. Different units deployed to combat zones had different methods to break up the iconic German helmet silhouette, for camouflage purposes. Some units issued fabric covers or camouflage nets. In other units, helmets were painted with camouflage colors. Among the most widely utilized camouflage paint finishes were solid tan for desert environments, solid white for winter use, and the tri-color camouflage scheme known to collectors as “Normandy” pattern camouflage. This camouflage style was certainly used in Normandy, famously by Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6, and also by many other units. But it was also used by various units in all the occupied countries along the German-fortified “Atlantic Wall.” The Normandy camouflage scheme is characterized by the use of red, green, and tan/brown/yellow paint. In some cases, the entire helmet would be oversprayed with the tan base color, and then areas would be further oversprayed with the red and green. Other helmet painters chose to simply spray areas with the various colors. These paints were, generally speaking, the same pigments supplied to units for the purposes of camouflaging vehicles. The paint was usually applied in unit work shops, using industrial type spray guns, rather than by the soldiers themselves. Every painter had his own style, and there were probably infinite variations in the way the helmets were camouflaged. Normandy camouflaged helmets were regarded by enemy GI soldiers as attractive souvenirs, and they remain very desirable collectibles today.

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