Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 400:
Description
WWII Luftwaffe Winter Flight Helmet & AUER Goggles. WWII German Luftwaffe Shearling-Lined Winter Leather Flight Helmet, RB-Nr. 0/0915/5232, Size 55, Paired with Period AUER-Marked Flight Goggles Offered here is a wartime Luftwaffe winter flying helmet of the non-radio (ohne Funkgeraet) pattern, retaining its interior woven RB-Nr. label reading "RB-Nr. 0/0915/5232" with an ink-stamped size 55, together with a set of Auer-Gesellschaft flight goggles of the type issued to German pilots, aircrew, and flak personnel throughout the conflict. No individual named history accompanies the grouping, and no separate published biography has been located; any attribution rests solely on the manufacturing markings present on the helmet lining and the maker’s mark stamped into the goggles’ upper brow pad. From late 1942 onward, the German Reichsluftfahrtministerium required that private manufacturers supplying flight equipment be identified only by anonymous Reichsbetriebsnummer (RB-Nr.) codes rather than company names, a wartime security measure intended to obscure the industrial base supplying the Luftwaffe from Allied intelligence. Helmets of this pattern, cut from pliable brown leather and lined in dense sheep shearling, were designed to protect aircrew against the punishing cold of high-altitude, unpressurized flight; the absence of wiring or headphone cutouts is consistent with a helmet intended for pilots or trainees not required to remain in constant radio contact, as distinct from the wired FT-Geraet variants worn by bomber and multi-crew personnel. The accompanying goggles, bearing the mark of the Berlin-based Auer-Gesellschaft, a firm well known for optical and protective equipment, were standard-pattern eye protection for Luftwaffe flyers and ground-based flak crews alike, valued for their durable metal frames and cushioned surrounds suited to open-cockpit and high-altitude service. The helmet displays supple, richly grained brown leather with two forward-facing goggle-strap retainer loops, functional snap closures at the chin and crown, an olive fabric adjustment strap at the rear, and a fully intact sheep-shearling lining that remains soft and full throughout; the woven RB-Nr. label with its hand-inked size 55 designation is clearly legible and undisturbed within the lining. The Auer goggles feature pressed-metal frames, clear glass lenses free of visible cracks, an upper brow pad stamped "AUER, " and an olive ribbed elastic headband that functions correctly and appears to be a stable period or early replacement; a leather chin strap with punched holes and a period buckle also survives on the helmet. Condition on the goggles shows notable wear consistent with age and service: the lower rubberized face cushioning has deteriorated with heavy crumbling and material loss along the bottom rims, though the metal housings, lenses, and upper brow pad remain sound and stable. The helmet presents in very good, supple condition overall with light surface creasing typical of genuine wartime leather, discoloration in places to the shearling, and a fully legible interior label. A solid, display-ready grouping combining a clearly RB-Nr.-marked non-wired Luftwaffe winter flight helmet with maker-marked Auer goggles, offering collectors an accessible and visually striking entry point into German aviation headgear of the Second World War.
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