General Information: Norwegian armed forces reused helmets and other equipment left behind by surrendering German forces at the end of the Second World War. Most of the reissued helmets were the Model 1935/40/42 type, but some were World War One Model 1916/17/18 type that were reissued to German soldiers during World War Two. The Norwegians used these German helmets until the late 1950s and early 1960s when the Norwegian Model 1958 eventually replaced them.[1]
The Norwegian reissued German helmets were stripped, repainted olive green, and reassembled with German WWII liners and chinstraps dyed red. Norwegian coat of arms decals were applied to both sides.
Displayed Example: I purchased this helmet from a dealer in the UK in 2024. It is a German Model 1918 that was reissued during the Second World War. The original manufacturer and size stamp, Q66, is still visible. In its WWII configuration, it probably had a single Wehrmacht decal. Postwar, the Norwegians repainted the helmet, and installed a typical, red-dyed German Model 1931 liner and chinstrap. The decals are 95% and 98% intact respectably.
Collector Notes: Many of these historically interesting helmets have been modified by collectors to make them look like German wartime era pieces. The red-dyed liners are a distinctive identifier of Norwegian reissue. Be on the lookout for that. Norwegian reissued German WWI model helmets are quite scarce.
* Citation sought
[1] Ellis, Brenden. “Norway M40.” Brendon’s Helmets. https://brendonshelmets.weebly.com/norway-m40.html. Accessed April 16, 2025.
Steel Helmets of the World Wars 