GERMAN HELMET LINER MAKER MARKED AND DATED 1943 ORIGINAL

This is an original WW2 German M31 helmet liner that has both the inner and outer metal bands. Maker marked and dated: 

• D.R.P.
  1943
  SCHUBERTH- WERK K.-G. BRAUNSCHWEIG 
• 66 n.A / 58

64 shell / 56 liner band

In 1934 a new liner system for German helmets was adopted, namely the model 1931 liner. The new liner took into account the size of a soldier’s head rather than only the helmet shell size. The M31 liner consists of two interlocking metal bands which are connected to each other with 5 steel leaf springs. The leather liner was attached to the inner metal band by small rivets made of aluminum and subsequently zinc-coated steel. The band is stamped with the liner head size and appropriate shell size. The leather part consists of 8 separate «tongues» which are perforated with 5 stamped holes to allow for ventilation. The liners for larger helmets (size 68-70) have 9 leather tongues.

For precise adjustment for a soldier’s head size, a woven drawstring is inserted through a 6th hole on the tip of each tongue. Between the leather and the inner band, a wool strip is attached to improve comfort and to avoid rubbing of the fragile leather against metal. Early liners were made mainly of aluminum parts changing to zinc-coated steel parts in 1940. The M31 liner consists of many parts and the 6 different liner producers that that existed obtained certain components (leather and rivets) from several other manufacturers.