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WWII German Early Rural Police Helmet - SS -
This is an M-35 type helmet. Issued to the rural police, which was a predecessor to the SS.
Complete with the leather liner. The helmet came equipped with a leather chin strap - the sample
illustrated here is missing half of it.
Of dual decals. One of them has been scratched off. This was a common practice when de-nazifying
an article.
The edges of the helmet are rolled in. The manufacturing process to achieve this effect was more
time consuming. This practice was abandoned in later years.
The leather liner of the M-35 helmet can be seen here. A string would secure all the internal flaps
together. That is missing from this helmet. The chinstrap was made of leather as well. A small
section of it remains here. The back section of the helmet was stamped with its size and manufacturer
information. While most of the helmets received the stamp, it is possible to find samples that
do not have it.
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The modern German helmet saw its birth during World War One. Its design was so advanced
for the time that the German government saw it fit for the same basic design to be re-employed
during World War Two.
The German helmet of World Wat Two has become one of the most recognizable silhouttes of war.
The helmetss of the Third Reich came in a variety of designs. There were approximatelly
9 different types developed. Even the non-military helmets often displayed the
swastika as a means to show support of the Nazi party. The helmet was constructed of a
combination of metal and leather.
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WWII German helmets are currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this headgear.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other American military headgear, you can do so by
going to our WWII German helmets
identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Luftwaffe and other organizations.
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