Is this an authentic prewar Polish canteen?

[dastier]

Is this an authentic prewar Polish canteen? I have never seen a Polish canteen carrier. How were they carried? Can anyone provide any more information - where made etc. Thanks.

[meyle77]

yes - nice clean example
Made by Huta Swiatowit in Myszkow.
they were secured in a pouch with straps.

[dastier]

Thanks for the confirmation. Does the 1939 refer to the year of manufacture? Were there more than one manufacturer? Is this aluminum or some kind of white metal?

Re the pouch: What kind of pouch and where fastened? Any info on the straps? Was it on the belt or in the bread bag or some other kind of pouch like a backpack? More info please.

[Hubal]

To answer your questions,
The year 1939 is the manufacturing date of this canteen. There were more than one manufacturer of this canteen. The others were: Hutal Ludwikow Kielce and FWAB Swiatowid. The canteen wz.38 is made of aluminum.

There were no pouches manufactured before 1939. The canteen was stored in the bread bag. There is a special compartment for that. All the felt pouches you see for these canteens were manufactured after the war.

Ragards, Pawel

[pat15567]

Agree with Hubal, all i can add that signature "MS Wojsk 45" is a stamp of technical control. Nice example of most popular polish pre war canteen. It's worth to remember that this pattern was in production till ... early 90's (!!!). Almost nothing changed. Pre war it was carried in breadbag in one of its internal pockets. Afterwar canteens were carried in woolen covers attached to the main belt with d-ring.

Leather carrier was never used in pre war polish army. From time to time one can find it in books about gear but this is well known mistake, probably it was designed right after the war and used in paramilitary organizations like boyscouts etc.

[dastier]

Thanks Pat and Pawel. I've always wondered how the Polish soldiers carried their canteen - thanks for clearing this up.

So what exactly does the technical control 45 refer to? Is it a sort of acceptance stamp? There is a thread on the bread bag - can anyone provide photos of the inside of a Polish bread bag showing the compartment for the canteen and how it was strapped in? Thanks.

[Hubal]

Hello dastier,

The technical control mark is an acceptance stamp by the military.

I will post photos of the canteen in the bread bag in this thread because it fits well with the discussion. There are no straps for the canteen because it fits snug in the pocket of the wz.33 bread bag.

[pat15567]

I don't have my items in this moment in the reach of the hand but i can show You on replicas which i'm using in reenactment. This is how it was carried, there is only a pocket inside of the bread bag and there was a place for canteen:



In earlier models of breadbags and canteens from time to time it was changed. Some older patterns were attached to the bag outside in a same way as in the german army.