RARE 1953 Limited Production German Vented Stahlhelm M35/53
Polizei Bepo Berlin Helmet, Hull 64
This M35/53 variant was used by the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) in West Germany and features the smooth brownish-green paint designated for the "Bepo" Berlin Polizei prior to 1956, dating its manufacture to approximately 1953/1954.
The M35/53 represents the first newly manufactured steel helmet produced after World War II. Initial variants were created by converting war-surplus M35 helmets—repairing them and removing their original 3R insignia and paint.
As West Germany's supply of reusable helmets dwindled, a limited production run of new M35/53 helmets began in 1954, continuing until 1961 when they were replaced by a completely smooth variant featuring no vent holes or rivets.
These newly manufactured M35/53 helmets featured the cushioned I-53 liner insert with single-point suspension system, hinged chin strap loops, and a rivet-free hull with machine-stamped vent holes on each side. The Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Police), formed in 1951, was among the first recipients.
This specimen is in excellent condition with the liner retaining both its original color and shape. The helmet is marked as size 64 on the underside of the neck skirt, while the liner indicates size 53-57.
The liner features the distinctive single-point suspension design—attached to the helmet dome's interior with prongs meeting at the inside peak beneath a padded main attachment, and lined with an 8-flap tanned leather secured with a boot-string-like cord.
The manufacturer could not be determined as the liner cannot be safely removed and no maker's marks are visible on exposed interior surfaces of the shell.
Intriguingly, the name "Rafael Almanzar Martinez" appears multiple times inside the liner in different ink and pencil, suggesting non-German ownership despite the helmet's German provenance.
The helmet likely did not belong to the Dominican Republic Air Force, as those units received the vent-less, rivet-free variant, often repainted with eagle insignia—characteristics absent from this specimen.
Two possible explanations for the Spanish name: the helmet may have been transferred to the Spanish Civil Guard stationed near the German border, or it was acquired as a post-war souvenir by a soldier who then repeatedly inscribed his name inside.
The large painted marking "332 C.M" on the liner remains unexplained. The hand-brushed appearance and uneven lettering suggest it was manually applied rather than stenciled.
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