Early WW1 British Cloth Gas Mask - Has anyone got one ?

[Gustaf B]

Hey alec.
It is worth much more than I could normally afford, but I was lucky and able to make a trade. There are not many of these in private collections, this one is one of the few with the exhale valve still intact, it has its original haversack named to two Canadian officers.
A side note, the photo you posted on the right is a photo of German soldiers with the M1915 Gumimasks.

Best
gus

[António Fragoeiro]

Hey Alec
How about this?





Best
Gus

Very rare and Beautiful mask, Gus.
However, It had to be very creepy to use one of these back then.
Cheers.
Nuno

[stuka f]

....
However, It had to be very creepy to use one of these back then.
Cheers.
Nuno

....even now ...
|<
;-)

[Gustaf B]

Chemical warfare is a creepy thing, even with modern protection. This was a bad time to be born, life was of little value, and I think one reason so many boys were able to march into sure death, was that life was unbearable, and death was a release.
Best
Gus

[RetroRespirators]

Nice PH Gus. The P/PH helmet is to me probably along the lines of a collectors holy grail, that and the WW2 US Mickey Mouse mask.

-Dan

[Gustaf B]

Hey Dan,
I agree, I never dreamed I would be able to own a PH hood, and for sure not one as nice as this, but this one fell in my lap at a time when I did not have two pennys to rub together, but the previous owner wanted a couple of things I had, and oddly enough, the only two things that I had duplicates of. I am embarres to admit that I do not have a French M2 mask, but that will be the next thing on my list, now that I have moved from the level of beginning collector.
Best
Gus

[RetroRespirators]

Hey Dan,
I agree, I never dreamed I would be able to own a PH hood, and for sure not one as nice as this, but this one fell in my lap at a time when I did not have two pennys to rub together, but the previous owner wanted a couple of things I had, and oddly enough, the only two things that I had duplicates of. I am embarres to admit that I do not have a French M2 mask, but that will be the next thing on my list, now that I have moved from the level of beginning collector.
Best
Gus

Ah, the M2 is no problem. The PH is so much more amazing and as you said, there are few in private collections. M2s show up every now and again in the right place. I'll trade you the M2 for the PH. Just kidding Do you perhaps have any of the earlier hypo helmet solutions?

Regards,
Dan

[Gustaf B]

Hey Dan,
I do not have any of the solutions, I need to watch for the little bottles, they turn up now and then. Not much chance I would trade the PH for an M2, I can buy one for much less than I have in the PH, it is just a matter of having a bit of copper in my pocket when one shows up. I have a hard time saving any of my collecting allowance beyond the next cool thing that comes along. The first M2 that I passed on was $160, and in fairly good nick, but the reason I passed on that was because I had just spent $100 on an Austrian Gummimask, so the money was well spent
Best
gus

[Battery Command Post]

I thought I should add some pictures of a Hypo Helmet I have in my collection to this thread:



It has the early (characteristically cracked) mica window, later versions of these had the same round eyepieces as the P Helmet. I dont have a haversack for it, although the fold lines in the material show it was likely stored in one for many years.



This must have been horrific to wear and try to breathe, as it doesn't have the exhaust valve of the later helmets. Although I suppose this would have been better than breathing in Chlorine gas.

Rob

[Gustaf B]

That is a very nice example, Rob. I am jealous, although I probably do not have any right to be jealous, as I do have a gas hood, I used to think that getting one of these would satisfy me, but now I want one of each
Best
Gus