WW1 M16 “BELL” L64 GERMAN CAMO HELMET

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BACKGROUND: The first "modern" steel helmets were introduced by the French army in early 1915 and were shortly followed by the British army later that year. With plans on the drawing board, experimental helmets in the field, ("Gaede" helmet), and some captured French and British helmets the German army began tests for their own steel helmet at the Kummersdorf Proving Grounds in November, and in the field in December 1915. An acceptable pattern was developed and approved and production began at Eisen-und Hüttenwerke, AG Thale/Harz, in the spring of 1916. These first modern M16 helmets evolved into the M18 helmets by the end of WWI. The M16 and M18 helmets remained in usage throughout the Weimar Reichswehr era and on into the early years of the Third Reich until the development of the smaller, lighter M35 style helmet in June 1935.

DESCRIPTION: This is a fresh attic find out of Western Australia of all places where the dry desert heat conditions have protected the original paint from the elements. I have no doubt that if you turned back the clock to 1918 when this first must have come over to the land down under that what you would have seen is basically the same as what we see today. A nearly flawless WW1 German camo painted helmet with 95% original paint still intact a full 100+ years later.

As per orders given by the German Imperial Command, German helmets were regulated to have 3 colors painted on them, green, brick red brown and yellow ochre. The same two colors must not touch each other and each hue was to be separated by a black line roughly the width of a man's finger.

In this case we can see mainly dark forest green, mud browns and a very dark yellow ochre polygon pattern. The inside liner was sadly missing and has been replaced by an aged replica in a leather outer band and cotton drawstring. The chinstrap is chestnut brown and a high end aged reproduction I purchased out of Europe to complete the piece.

The interior left side apron is very weakly stamped but I am able to make out a faint L64 code which represents manufacturers “Bell” L. a.k.a. the rattle logo indicating manufacture by R. Lindenberg A.G in the province of Remscheid-Hasten, size 64. Another unique feature of Bell L helmets is that the two Frankenstein lug vents are not cylindrical in shape but more like the rounded end of a thin sausage.

All in all a very nicely preserved helmet that literally 100+ years old and without an dents, cracks or rust pitting whatsoever. A real survivor of a specimen.

$950

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