Ersatz plywood canisters for GM17 gas masks

[Stahlhelm]

Here are two examples of late war German ersatz gas mask canisters. They are made of a thin plywood with the exception of the lids, latches, strap brackets and rim reinforcements.

One set is complete with the long papercloth carrying strap and GM17 Lederschutzmaske. The bottom of the canister is ink marked with a faint acceptance stamp and date stamp. It has a yellow cross painted onto the lid. I have no idea whether this indicates it had something to do with mustard gas. It only occured to me to mention this because the shells in which mustard gas were delivered were referred to as yellow cross and so marked.

 

[Stahlhelm]

Comparison between the ersatz and regular GM17 canisters.
Hans

 

[ebeeby]

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

Eric

 

[Adler]

Just amazing stuff... Never seen these for sale... Never had them in my hands... You're lucky to have two of them...
Big congrats for that,

Adler

 

[cliffn]

Hans,
You come up with some amazing things. Wow. Sorry that we did not stay to talk more with you at the show. It was good seeing you again.

Cliff

 

[Stahlhelm]

Thank you all very much for your comments. Cliff, I hope to see you guys at the summer Etobicoke show.

Hans

 

[Larmo]

Those certainly are wonderful canisters, you just never see them.

I have an amusing (hopefully) anecdote regarding similar cansisters sold at the Great Western Gunshow in Pomona in the 1980's. A man was set up in building 8 with a cardboard box full of these. He had purchased them at a Film Studio Sale and was selling them as Movie Props! So we all thought as well until we started looking at them and noticed the woven paper straps and issue stamps like you see on the metal ones. As I remember he was selling them fairly reasonably for the time, maybe $20 or so and I believe I bought 6 or 7. I wish I had bought the box. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.

Larmo

 

[Stahlhelm]

Thanks Larmo, that's a remarkable story. Do you by any chance still have any of these canisters? If so please post some pictures.

Hans

 

[Larmo]

Hi Hans

I know it sounds like a crazy story but it is completely true. I had forgotten all about those canisters until I saw the photos of yours. At the time I did not take photos and worse I sold them all years ago. Didn't keep even one.

At one time the Hollywood film and costume companies had amazing piles of original helmets and uniforms of all time periods and nationalities. I believe it was Western Costume that traveled to Europe in the 1920's and purchased enormous piles of German & Austrian militaria to include one of the Imperial Hapsburg royal coaches. If you ever get the chance to watch the Marx Brothers movie Duck Soup (1933 MGM I believe and really funny) you will see extras wearing complete Garde du Corps uniforms with helmet!

The Great Western Show was an amazing show for many years and I'm sorry to say we will never see the like again. I was fortunate to attend all of them from November of 1975 until the last which I believe was May of 98. Five miles of tables in seven large buildings and the craziest mix of vendors you ever saw. One table would have the finest quality of antique firearms and next to that a table selling beef jerky, reenactors in costume from Ancient Rome to Star Trek (remember this was L.A.) and combined with the beautiful Southern California weather (and girls) it was a true happening. People came from all over the world to attend it and it lasted four days.

Larmo

 

[Stahlhelm]

Larmo,
it's a shame that you don't have them any more. I would have loved to see other examples. The Great Western Show sounds like it was an incredible event. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Hans

 

[Chip Minx]

I can corroborate Larmo's story. Back in the 1980s, many things were being turned out of the old studio costume/wardrobe stores as the companies went out of business. Western Costume and and United Costume come to mind. I remember pallets of British 08 web gear, tons of horizon blue and circa 1914 French uniforms, as well as many German items. I have one of the wooden gas mask cans, a Prussian NCO's lance pennant and three papercloth cover canteens that came from the studios. There were piles of Troddels, backpacks and every sort of gear. I remember the feeding frenzy as dealers pounced on the offerings. Several of my California collector friends really made a haul. Ah, those were the days.

Chip

 

[Stahlhelm]

Chip, I would love to see your plywood gas mask canister if you'd care to take some pictures of it.

Speaking of which, here's another one with yellow cross painted onto the lid, identical to the one I've posted earlier on this thread. I though I had already posted this one on the forum but it seems to have disappeared. It is identical in construction to my other two plywood canisters.
~Hans

 

[b.loree]

Very interesting.....I had no clue that these existed. Many thanks for the posting. Hope to see everyone at the Etobikoke show. Brian

 

[ebeeby]

I just obtained a 1916 mask (pre-leather). It is stiff and "crinkly" though intact. What - if anything- could I spray on it to help take the crinkly out of it?

 

[Pionier]

This is my plywood ersatz gas mask canisters.