Lot 769
A RARE SECOND WORLD WAR GERMAN PILOT FLIGHT PROTECTION HELMET SSK90.
A German pilot flight protection helmet body by Siemens, with an oval top riveted to a twelve section metal body with cut out ear pieces, the interior stamped '8 41' and 'CAW', 15cm high, 27 x 23cm.
Originally covered in a padded dark brown cover there are very few of this pattern of helmet known to still exist. Sources provide conflicting suggestions of age and use, some suggest they were used by the Messcherschmidt Me262 jet fighter pilots, others that they were made earlier than this being adopted by the Luftwaffe on 8th May 1941 and were unpopular with aircrew due to the weight of the steel plates and subsequently withdrawn fewer than three weeks later on the 26th May 1941 which would account for their scarcity.
