German Early Gas Mask and Canister

[timothy]

German early GM30 and early canister 38 I think mask is marked 36 and a lot of numbers 2, and 7 in it are large. Straps are not original to can but are made of same type webbing as mask straps filter I am sure was used by someone post war. timothy

[JPhilip]

Hello Timothy,
That's a nice early GM30 with the first type of snout...the filter is a brand new FE41 (it looks like Tp for Tropen is ink stamped on it)
The cannister is the M36 type produced in 1936/37 with the first type of closure...
The carrying strap is weird, it looks like a Gasmask neckstrap that has been cut off and modified...

Cannisters nomenclatura :

M30 with high lid and additional metal loop welded verticaly on the center of the cannister
M36 with first type of closure (like yours Timothy) produced in 1936/37
M36 with second type of closure, the usual spring, produced in 1937/38
M38 its lenght has been increased (if i remember well 27,5 cm vs 25 cm for the M36)
M38 reinforced (better sand/waterproofing) with a rubber seal added in the lid (often missing now)
From 1943, due to manufacturers some change were made to the cannister which sometime lost the rib at its base and/or its internal metal jacket and the Klarscheiben box was simplified...
Thanks

[timothy]

Thank you J Phillip I will post another later taller one Mask is black rubber on it. timothy

[MP44tom]

Like JP said, nice early mask !!

The Filter is is a reused one, you can see the WaA stamp is painted over, but with acetone you can remove this paint to get the original stamp back (go easy with the acetone.... just a little at a time)
The Filter is indeed a Tp (Tropical one), these differ from the normal filters....

The cover on the filter is also a post war one if I see correctly. but this can easily be removed

Tom

[bigmacglenn]

Nice setup...I agree with Tom that the Filter-Cover is Postwar BW...I recognized the distinctive pattern right away...
cheers, Glenn

[timothy]

Like JP said, nice early mask !!

The Filter is is a reused one, you can see the WaA stamp is painted over, but with acetone you can remove this paint to get the original stamp back (go easy with the acetone.... just a little at a time)
The Filter is indeed a Tp (Tropical one), these differ from the normal filters....

The cover on the filter is also a post war one if I see correctly. but this can easily be removed

Tom

Tom I took your advise and used the acetone technique it is hard I didn't find any ink stamp but did find a small waa or it appears to be stamped in the can is this why they painted over it? I have seen them with ink stamps. timothy

[MP44tom]

These masks (and filters) were used by many armys after the war, and indeed the WaffenAmt stamps are painted over to hide the eagles and swastikas

I think these (overpainted ones) were used by the Danish people if I remember correctly

Sometimes the cans have ink stamps as well

[Glenn66]

Cannisters nomenclatura :

M30 with high lid and additional metal loop welded verticaly on the center of the cannister
M36 with first type of closure (like yours Timothy) produced in 1936/37
M36 with second type of closure, the usual spring, produced in 1937/38
M38 its lenght has been increased (if i remember well 27,5 cm vs 25 cm for the M36)
M38 reinforced (better sand/waterproofing) with a rubber seal added in the lid (often missing now)
From 1943, due to manufacturers some change were made to the cannister which sometime lost the rib at its base and/or its internal metal jacket and the Klarscheiben box was simplified...
Thanks

Is this the second type of closure that you mention? My canister is 27.5cm long so I guess it's an M38? Also, is it correct to have the canvas-type mask in an M38?



Thank you.

[MP44tom]

Correct, this is the usual type of closure spring that was used until the end of the war (and after)

And it is no problem to have an M30 mask in an M38 cannister... the M30 masks were produced until the end of the war....

I even have a 45 dated M30 mask

here some pictures











Tom

[Glenn66]

Thank you! I know the lenses in my mask are dated 1944 but I will now have to dig the mask out and look for these other marks you highlight. Anyway, enough of my highjacking of this thread, I will have to start a thread of my own for my mask set.