Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 452:
Description
NSKK 1st Pattern Padded Leather Motorcyclist Crash Helmet (Sturzhelm) by Carl Busse, Mainz, Size 57, Named to Walter Haensch, Circa 1934-1938. This lot presents an early National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) crash helmet, the padded leather Sturzhelm issued to motorcycle dispatch riders and vehicular personnel of the Third Reich’s motorized party formations. The crown carries the boxed maker’s stamp "BUSSE MAINZ" together with the size "57," and a faint additional ink stamp inside the liner appears to read "Walter Haensch". The Sturzhelm evolved from protective headgear first adopted by SA-Motor formations in the early 1930s and was subsequently standardized for the NSKK following its establishment as the motorized arm of the Nazi Party apparatus. Its heavily padded crest, rolled brow bolster, and hinged leather ear and neck flaps were purpose-built for riders exposed to the hazards of open-cockpit motorcycling on German roads well before the militarized steel helmets of the Wehrmacht’s armored branches came into use. The helmet is fitted with the 1st pattern aluminum NSKK eagle, its talons gripping a wreathed mobile swastika roundel mounted separately below – a two-piece design that predates the 1938 2nd pattern insignia, which added an "NSKK" scroll beneath the eagle. Though frequently confused by newcomers to the field with the Wehrmacht Panzer Schutzmuetze tank crew helmet owing to a superficially similar silhouette, the NSKK Sturzhelm was manufactured exclusively for motor corps personnel and never issued to armored vehicle crews. Carl Busse of Mainz was among the commercial firms contracted to produce these helmets for NSKK formations through the 1930s, and surviving examples bearing his stamp remain sought after by collectors of German motorized-unit militaria. The helmet is constructed of boiled, blackened leather with a raised padded crest running front to back and a full padded roll encircling the crown, together with a stitched peak at the front. The two-piece aluminum insignia is mounted prominently to the front of the roll, the eagle retaining crisp die detail and the wreathed swastika beneath it retaining its original black enamel infill with light overall oxidation to the metal consistent with age. The natural brown leather interior liner is complete with its scalloped tongues and drawcord, and the crown bears the clear boxed "BUSSE MAINZ" stamp, the size "57," and the faint named stamp discussed above. The broad hinged leather ear and neck flaps remain pliable and are fitted with their leather chinstrap and metal buckle, both intact. Accompanying the helmet is a typed collector’s identification tag recording the piece as an NSKK crash helmet marked Busse Mainz, size 57, and naming Walter Haensch, along with a period tin canister present in the photographs. Condition throughout is very good for the type: the black exterior leather shows expected age craquelure and light surface scuffing while remaining supple, with sound stitching to the crest and roll; the brown liner shows heavier surface wear and toning with a small split at one tongue; the insignia is well detailed with only minor oxidation. A scarce and well-documented early NSKK Sturzhelm, its Busse Mainz stamp, size marking, and 1st pattern eagle all sitting exactly where collectors want to find them, further strengthened by a named interior stamp and period collector’s tag identifying the original owner as Walter Haensch.
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