By the Numbers
Trying to determine the number of helmets that were produced can be a tricky proposition.
German helmet factories maintained records of the exact number of helmets that were produced and issued to
soldiers and civilian forces during the war. However, some of these records may have been lost or simply
never found after the war. Thanks to the record keeping maintained by the US Armed Forces, it is possible
to get an estimate of how many helmets were actually shipped home.
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There were millions of German Helmets that were brought back home as souvenirs from the war.
The exact number may be impossible to determine brcause there are variables affecting the numbers.
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For example, some soldiers took souvenirs and shipped them home circumbenting the established process.
Some of the helmets were brought back inside duffle bags without anyone knowing except for the soldier who
captured the helmet. This fact would clearly affect the final count.
The number also does not account for helmets that were taken by Allied soldiers from other countries.
Collecting German helmets
Collecting German helmets is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe
bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers carried many of these helmets when they went to
battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the Americans would take the headgear as war trophies.
Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.
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In trying to determine if you should collect German helmets there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the German helmets.
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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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