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WW2 German Field Gear


Gildwiller1918

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Here is some of my WW2 German Field Gear. First up is a Pionier Saw, this was attached to the wearers belt, the small loop sticking up midway through the scabbard is where the 98K Mauser bayonet was inserted. This particular saw is dated 1942 on the carrying case. 

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Here is my zeltbahn, or shelter quarter. Two of these put together would make a small tent, along with these, troops were issued tent poles, stakes and rope. 

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Here is a M31 mess kit, this one is marked "CFl 40" on both parts and has matching personalized named etched onto both halves as well. It has typical paint wear, as most soldiers cooked meals in these, or at least ate from them. As they were carried on the A frame or bread bag, they tended to get banged and dinged up. 

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Here is another engineer item, mid sized wire cutters with the carrying case. 

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Here is a WW2 German M38 Gas Mask and carrying case. Probably one of the more iconic parts of the german field gear. This case is dated 1943. The mask is dated 1944. I got the mask from a museum that was closing down, it has never been used, only on display. Also shown is the aluminum gas mask retainer frame. These were used while in garrison to help stretch the masks to the shape to be worn. Also shown is a skin decontamination tablet container. 

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Here is a M34 cleaning kit for the 98K Mauser Rifle, this one is marked "Mundlos 1937".

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Here is a field flashlight. It has a cover that can be moved up and down to reduce light pollution at night, additionally it has two light covers, red and green that can be moved over the white light by using the two knobs on the front. I found this in a antique store along with the 2 batteries and march compass. Most likely a souvenir brought home. 

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Here is the model M31 bread bag, which did not change much from the previous war. It was used to hold personal belongings, food, supplies, etc. This one has a RBN number, but is hard to make out. It also has the spoon fork combo, which was sometimes carried in the mess kit, this one is dated 1941. Also included is a tin of Vasenol foot powder, still full. Lastly is a empty tin of Scho-Ka-Kola which was basically an energy bar of sorts. 

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Here are two 98k Mauser ammunition pouches, first one is dated 1936 from Bad Kreuznach, the second dated 1939 from Kaiserslautern, which holds a special interest for me as I lived there from some time. 

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Here is a map case/march compass. Marked "CXN" These were made by many different makers and could vary in design and size, but all operated the same. 

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Here is a bakelite binocular carrying case for the 6x30 binoculars. The binoculars are marked Carl Zeiss/Jena and Silvamar 6x30. I have been trying to date the binoculars, apparently this type was (Silvamar) was used as early as 1907. The first Zeiss 6 x 30 model, ‘Marineglas’, this was later named the Silvamar, which was available after 1910. My guess is this is a private purchase model as it lacks the serial number and military markings. 

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Very interesting and extensive collection of items., some of these you would hardly find at all nowadays.
The Schokakola is still around nowadays, I remember seeing it in the early 70s, you can still buy it, but hard to find. Today it is manufactured by Scho-Ka-Kola GmbH in 22848 Norderstedt (Hamburg), no longer by Hildebrandt in Berlin. It was said to have contained "Pervitin", the wonder drug, which provided energy and vitality. I don't know whether the recipe is the same today. Here is a box from about 2014, expiring 04.08.2016.

Dienstglas - the binoculars are an early example, being of brass, wartime examples were made of zinc, which becomes apparent when the black finish wears off, as in most cases and also had the wartime manufacturers letter code. Most of these smaller sets have a grid scale within the glass.

Cartridge cases are also very collectable, I have had several good sets in my time, but unfortunately ended up trading these for other items. I still have an unmatched pair in almost perfect condition, which I will show at a later stage.

The gas mask filter looks as though it could have been Luftwaffe issue, being bluegrey, it is unusual to find a Maskenspanner (keeping the mask in shape) nowadays. You need a good set of straps for the canister, these are increasingly hard to find.

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Here is my MG-34 tool pouch, I do have the spider "AA" sight and starter tabs as well. 

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Here are some manuals I picked up over the years. Used to have a lot more, but interests change over time. 

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Here is a nice "Y" Strap set. The stamp is hard to see in the pictures, but reads Mainz 1942, there is something before Mainz that starts with a C or G, but it is too diffcult to make out. These seem to be getting real hard to find in good condition and not faked. 

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Fritz, when I saw your post about the newer made Scho-ka-kola, I went through my stuff, and I found I still had an unopened container, probably from the last time I was in Germany. Awesome stuff!

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Here is a M31 canteen, the cup is marked "ESB 39". I did not see any stamps on the canteen itself, the leather strap around the canteen is dated 1937. 

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Here is a WW2 German Pony Hair backpack, the M39, This one has the suspenders attached, and has all the internal compartments, and a bag for carrying the mess tin. Although very organized and nice looking they were not practical and took up valuable production materials and time. Rucksacks and "A" frames became more suitable for warfare. I have seen pictures of these being used to support mine clearing and communications equipment as well. 

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Yes the Schokakola is sometimes very hard to find, it turns up sporadicly, the last ones I purchased at EDEKA, but haven't seen any more lately. A bit of nostalgia. I find, they didn't pep you up that much, and as a chocolate, rather dark, and not particularly appetising, but still better than the DDR chocolate before 1989/90.
My last canteen was mint, it was a very late piece, the bottle was of iron finished in red oxide with the narrow bakelite cup, straps were mint, later black leather with embossed dotted pattern, they don't turn up in that condition nowadays. I still have a midwar breadbag of a flimsy green material and a matching strap. I only have a WW1 fur backpack dated 1915, but very good condition, straps have the old brass fittings.
What happened to the Kriegsmarine book? It looks as though it came too close to Churchill's cigar.

The Maker's mark on the Y-straps looks something like - CARL  Z.....E  ?  Fittings look like early aluminium.  I had quite a few various sets of these, I only have the one set still, this is without a maker's mark, unusually.
Good belt leathers are also very hard to find now, most have been tampered with, shortened, tongues removed, excessivly postwar worn, etc.

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This little booklet I got given to me a couple of years ago, the owner (1926-2018)  was with the Kriegsmarine and was on the "Schleswig Holstein" for a short spell as an artilleryman in the front turret. His unit, they were all very young, was later supplied with Danish uniforms, due to shortages, then  served as ground defence with Panzerfausts in the defensive against Soviet invaders north of Berlin -Marine Panzerabwehr-Abteilung.
After losses, they were withdrawn to the west and later taken prisoner by the British.

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Interesting. I have no idea what happened to the naval book. That is how I found it. I take what I can get nowadays, good items, especially unaltered are getting hard to find, and expensive.

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Here is my WW2 German Stick Grenade transit case, it has a white stripe down to middle to show it was for smoke grenades, do not know if that is original or not. The internal rack, which is often missing has a reproduction grenade inserted to show how they were stored. 

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On 15/08/2019 at 03:01, Gildwiller1918 said:

Here is a WW2 German Pony Hair backpack, the M39, This one has the suspenders attached, and has all the internal compartments, and a bag for carrying the mess tin. Although very organized and nice looking they were not practical and took up valuable production materials and time. Rucksacks and "A" frames became more suitable for warfare. I have seen pictures of these being used to support mine clearing and communications equipment as well. 

Backpacks were made of cowhide (Kalbsfell) since 1718. I have a 1915 example, which I will post at a later date.

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  • 1 year later...

Some articles of equipment are getting really hard to find in a reasonable condition, and the prices have soared tremondously. What you definitely need is the set of straps for the gasmask canister, long and short, these are also difficult to find in a good condition, there are also many other post war issues and copies around. You also need a strap for the messtin, this would have to be a certain length and have the right fittings (quick release button). Check for the right type of strap before buying, also hard to find.

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I did finally get around to getting the gas mask strap, have not gotten the mess kit one yet. 

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There are two straps to the gasmask tin, the long and the short version with a flat hook. Each one has a small aluminium or iron button/stud for fastening, sometimes these are missing.

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