Model 1915 ET62 “Square Dip” helmet. Eisenhuettenwerke Thale A.G., Thale /Harz. The very rare first batch of WW1 German steel helmets dating from late 1915; with a distinctive sharper corner or dip to the peak. This is a size 62 example. Leather pads are complete but without the cushions inside. Refurbished during the war. The helmet has a couple of small drag rips to the string holes. Each chinstrap mount is present. The helmet received according the 1918 regulation, a three-tone camo finish with black dividing lines. The inside has a few random splashes of white and red paint from having been in a shed or garage most probably.
Model 1907 Feldmütze Baden with a rare camo cover for the red cap band, which has a reenforced area using field-grey cloth around the cap cockade. Dated 1915 and marked for the XIV Army Clothing Depot.
German pre-war dunkelblau model 1895 Schirmmütze from Infanterie-Regiment Hamburg (2. Hanseatisches) Nr. 76. for other rank or NCO's. Lining has nicely visible regimental stamp 76 R, 1912. Signs of general wear in few places. The cap has very rare original sewn Hamburg cockade.
Model 1916 Steel Helmet with chinstrap made by Koerting & Mathiesen Leutsch /Leipzig, marked K&M, in size 68.
First type thick leather liner band. The helmet was been refurbished and re-painted at the outside and interior edges with thick field-grey paint, brush strokes are clearly visible. The question is whether or not it’s a wartime rebuild repaint. The paint is very old and has a lot of patina. Usually a rebuilt helmet will have a painted stencil size in the skirt interior, and there seems to be no evidence of it. Some paint appears on the chinstrap fittings, so the liner is already part of the helmet for a long time. Either a WW1 refurbished helmet, or some sort of Freikorps era or early Reichswehr repaint? It is speculation of course, but still an extremely rare helmet nonetheless. K&M only produced these size 68 helmets in Leipzig, and in very limited numbers. Germany made ca 30,000 or so square dip helmets and they seem more common than K&M 68’s. Perhaps K&M produced 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 helmets, the numbers made were lost in history.
Model 1916 camo steel helmet with liner and chinstrap. Interior brim side has "ET62" Eisenhuettenwerke Thale A.G., Thale /Harz maker's size stamp. Leather liner band with leather pads (the cushions are missing) and several leather pad tongues are missing. The helmet is named on the liner under one of the cushions. A remarkable camouflage pattern with blobs of yellow, green and brown. The yellow patches are encircled with big black lines, a different interpretation, but not unheard off, of the Ludendorff directive, which mentioned sharp angles.
ET64 Battle damaged model 1916 helmet with first type leather liner band. Made by Eisenhuettenwerke Thale A.G., Thale /Harz. Three split pins, one at each side and one at the back attaches the leather liner. The leather liner band is sewn together at the back. The split pins have two sizes, and a much thicker pin was used at the rear compared with the side pins. This is probably a version made early 1916. The liner pads are heavier, the chinstrap bolt and lugs have a different position (more towards the front) and the visor is more square and has a different rim. The helmet is a bit longer in length too. The visor height is the same as later helmets.
Model 1916 Steel Helmet, marked ET64 for Eisenhuettenwerke Thale A.G., Thale /Harz in size 64 and named to ‘Mitcherling’ in big white letters. This camo seems to have been camo painted at least twice perhaps due to a change of location. The first scheme seems to be worked over and semi incorporated into the second perhaps by design or down to wear?