A *German WWII "Mercedes-Benz" M34 Factory Fire Guard Protection Helmet in good condition. The German WWII Mercedes-Benz M34 Factory Fire Guard Protection Helmet was a civil-defense helmet used by personnel responsible for protecting Mercedes-Benz industrial facilities during World War II. These helmets were associated with the Werkluftschutz, Germany’s industrial air-raid protection system, whose personnel helped defend factories against Allied bombing by carrying out firefighting, rescue, first-aid, and emergency-response duties. The M34 design was developed for civilian and industrial protection organizations rather than frontline military troops, and Mercedes-Benz factory personnel could be called upon to respond to fires, bomb damage, and other hazards affecting production facilities. As a result, a Mercedes-Benz-marked M34 represents the important role of industrial air-defense and factory fire brigades in Germany’s wartime home-front defense.