Identification Of A Medical Pouch

[BOB COLEMAN]

I obtained this medical pouch from the widow of an American soldier who served in the European Theater. I have no idea if this is military or civil. The only clues are the letters "SL" and the contents label on the inside of the cover. Your input would be appreciated.

[big ned]

Hi Bob,

The case you have is a 'Verbandtaschen' in brown leather. These were issued to the NSDAP/SA, Wehrmacht and Luftschutzwarndienst(Civil Defence Units similar to the British ARP). It appears of better quality than most so my guess is that it was a private purchase by a member of the latter. The letter 'S' means 'Sanitater' (Medic) and the 'L' (Links) means that the case should be worn on the left hand side of the equipment belt.


Information on the Luftschutzwarndienst (LSW), or in English, The Air Protection Warning Service is that the Luftschutzwarndienst was a civilian organization that was tasked with alerting the population of air raid attacks and for providing safety in air raid shelters, and for assistance to the civilian population after an air raid. First instituted in 1933, the service was originally voluntary up until 1943, when it was made mandatory for all German civilians, including women. The members were expected to purchase their own helmets and gear as their contribution to the war effort. There were catalogues that offered civil defence helmets for 5 Reich Marks each and also offered a selection of first aid kits and misc. equipment.

Often these cases have a date stamp on them somewhere and a makers stamp. These include Bollman & Co., DNY and Schmidt-Berlin S19, although there are others i believe. Hope this helps.

Regards, Ned.

[BOB COLEMAN]

Big Ned-
Thank you for the information. This is the first pouch of this type that I have encountered. There is always something new to learn in collecting militaria.