Luftschutz helmet

[Danielk]

Hey, I was passed down a helmet from my family brought back from ww2. Its a Luftzchutz helmet and I dont know very much about it. any information on it or its price would be much appreciated. I am not planning on ever selling it just interested to know how much it would be.

PS. it wouldn't let me upload a pic of the front for some reason but the insignia on the front is all in tact with the eagle and swastika.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Gil Boyd]

Hi Daniel,
Having come from a German family background, I know that these were bought by those willing to serve their country as Fire watchers or air raid wardens. You should find a Swastika in the middle of the winged emblem on the front.
It looks in a good all round authentic original garb, and fetch where ever the market if at the time, which currently sits somewhere in the £100 GBP mark with your family history associated with it.
I would keep it if it was in my family as "Uncles Willys" pride and joy and bought by his hard earned cash you can bet!

[Danielk]

Hey thanks for the information Gil. Was defiantly not going to sell it. Its a cool piece of memorabilia that my family thinks is cool I am interested in. I appreciate the information because I was not quite sure on what it was. This was also the item that got me into collecting as well, since then I have acquired some more military items.

Thanks again

[Peter Laidler]

I had one of those with a leather neck flap attached (fitted by the wartime owner I have been assured) when I was a young boy. Wish I'd kept it now.

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
There are quite a few around for sale if you want one.
Not in Deutschland of course because of the swastika in the centre of the wings at the front...........seems still to be quite sensitive and offends some.

D&B and others around the UK have some for sale. They were more a Civil Defence part of the garb. Grandfather had one on the German side of the family, he was gassed in WW1 by the British, how ironic is that, and could not serve in WW2!!

[Flying10uk]

Here are a couple more examples which I photographed at a museum a while back. The left hand one has the Swastika on the front of the helmet.

[Gil Boyd]

This is the front of one in all its glory

[Flying10uk]

I came across a better picture of the writing on the inside of the rim while looking for something else.

[Peter Laidler]

I think that the German fire brigade wear an identical helmet today but painted white. At least they were in Dusseldorf in the summer of '15

[Flying10uk]

There is a similar but slightly different post war version of which I have an example, although mine is painted black. The dealer who sold it to me said that it was a wartime shell reconditioned postwar for the fire service. I don't think that this is now correct, probably post war manufacture. I have also seen fibre glass versions, still in the "coal scuttle" shape. I did hear it suggested that the German fire service had stopped using metal helmets because when entering during buildings there was concern about receiving a "packet" from dangling live electric cables via the helmet, but I don't know how correct this is. I will post pictures later of the helmet.