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M1917 Lederschutzmaske
Hello folks.
After the British medal group I recently purchased, I was inspired to take a brief foray into WWI militaria. With some precious savings left to spend, I decided to pick this up. I've wanted one of these for a while, and have been holding out for a set in good condition. I'm pleased to have found one.
This is an example of the M1917 'Lederschutzmaske'. In the face of growing shortages of rubber -- which led to difficulty in manufacturing sufficient numbers of the M1915 'Gummimaske' -- the German Empire introduced this model of mask in 1917. The facepiece, manufactured from sheepskin leather, was treated with oil to make it waterproof and gasproof it. They can be differentiated from the M1918 model of mask by the 'spider web' over the lenses, as well as their overall thinner appearance.
This example is complete, and in above average condition. There is some rust on the canister -- the so-called 'deep lid' model -- but the metal parts of the mask itself have not suffered terribly from it at all. The sheepskin leather remains as soft and supple as the day it was made, with some light cracking to the lacquer painted around the seam of the mask. Both lenses are clear, if a little discoloured. Not a concern to me, as I don't plan on wearing it anytime soon!
All straps and harnesses are present and undamaged, to include both the long and short strap on the canister, and the adjustment string, which supports the weight of the filter and prevents it from pulling the mask down and obscuring the wearer's vision.
The mask appears to have been manufactured in 1918, with a March 1918 date on the filter, and a May date on the lenses. There are no date markings on the mask that I can see, though it does have a '2' inked on the folded edge, indicating a medium size. The filter is fitted with a 'Schnappdeckel' clip-on filter. These were introduced in May 1918, and served to prevent the ingress of dust and smoke into the filter, which impaired its abilities to protect the wearer from war gases.
Of additional note is the small paper tag attached to the long neck strap, added by a British soldier upon the mask's capture. Unfortunately, after many years of storage, it has absorbed the oil used to treat the mask and is illegible.
A very nice -- if very smelly! -- addition to my collection of gas masks!
Regards, B.B.
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04-20-2020 01:02 PM
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Fantastic. I've always been afraid to purchase one given that they are made of leather. But to find one that is still soft is great.
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by
MAP
Fantastic. I've always been afraid to purchase one given that they are made of leather. But to find one that is still soft is great.
If you're looking for a WWI gas mask, these are probably your best bet, honestly. The leather generally holds up very well over the years, as opposed to the rubber masks, which are more often than not solidified and crumbling. I purchased one of these over a Small Box Respirator for that reason.
Regards, B.B.
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Oops, missed this one B.B. A really nice complete example with some nice history. The capture paper is a nice addition and a shame it can’t be read. I do like the M17 best with the spider lens frames. Very nice!
Andy
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Very Nice BB,
Maybe hit that piece of paper with a black light and see if you can see the writing.
Semper Fi
Phil
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Thanks guys!
It is a shame the capture paper is illegible, but its presence alone adds to the mask’s history. I’ll give the blacklight method a go, but it’s completely saturated in oil. The fact it was probably written on in pencil doesn’t help either!
B.B.
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Just as an aside, I located an original drawing that indicated that there was no asbestos in the filter - only activated charcoal. Despite that the Australian War Memorial museum in Canberra treated it as if it did as a precaution probably due to the situation with the Brodie helmets etc in the IWM a few years back.
Andy
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by
AndyM35
Just as an aside, I located an original drawing that indicated that there was no asbestos in the filter - only activated charcoal. Despite that the Australian War Memorial museum in Canberra treated it as if it did as a precaution probably due to the situation with the Brodie helmets etc in the IWM a few years back.
Andy
Yes, it's generally accepted that the 11C11 filter contains no asbestos, and I believe the additional clip-on filter contains only a pad of cotton to filter out smoke. It's interesting that the same manufacturing processes were maintained into the Second World War, with German gas masks continuing to use charcoal, and most Allied masks clinging onto asbestos as a filter material.
B.B.
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Hi B.B.
I'm looking for a M1917 gasmask. Are there any tips for treating and preserving the leather and the straps?
Cheers Paul
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Hi Paul,
Personally I would leave the mask as is and try to keep it in a low light environment where there aren’t fluctuations in humidity. I would aim for about for 50% relative humidity. I generally always wear gloves when handling my items as oils from fingers left on pieces can promote mould growth. By cleaning or trying to preserve the leather you are removing the original patina which has taken many years to form and is part of the pieces history. Cleaned items are also generally regarded as less valuable as they are no longer in an as found condition.
Andy
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