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Painted gas masks


rustbucket
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I always thought the well decorated gas mask bag was as cool as the painted helmet, but it isn't nearly as highly valued by collectors. I also especially like the diary bags where the vets listed all the places that they had been stationed, sometimes with the dates. Also, I like the sayings they superimposed, like "I need thee every hour!" and "Next to the gal, my best pal!" These really were an every day necessity at the time!

 

David

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Great balloon group and diary gas mask bag!! Could you take a close up of the insignia on the front of the helmet? It's also great to have the soldier's photo!

 

David

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Great balloon group and diary gas mask bag!! Could you take a close up of the insignia on the front of the helmet? It's also great to have the soldier's photo!

 

David

 

David

Hope this helps, I never figured out what the three items (resemble rockets) are but they are flanked by machine guns and signal flags. They are not painted but rather the paint was scraped away and the bare metal underneath turned dark. There is also some writing over the three center images that I believe is his serial number and name, W. X. Spellman.

 

Terry

 

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world war I nerd

Hawk, I also wanted to have a better look at the front of your Balloon Co. lid. Thanks for posting it.

 

Either I've seen your helmet somewhere else, or I have an image of a similar insignia depicting three vertical, shells, rockets, arrows (?) somewhere in my files. If i can remember where I put it, I'll post it.

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world war I nerd

Mike, thanks for identifying that 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division Bag was yours ... maybe when you have time, you could post a larger image of the painted insignia.

 

Yet another 2nd Engineer Regiment, 2nd Division painted gasmask satchel, along with a close up of the insignia. It's beginning to look as if the entire regiment might have painted their gasmask carriers?

 

Photos courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

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world war I nerd

And another 27th Division painted satchel. This one painted on both the front and the back sides.

 

Photos courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

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Mike, thanks for identifying that 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division Bag was yours ... maybe when you have time, you could post a larger image of the painted insignia.

 

Yet another 2nd Engineer Regiment, 2nd Division painted gasmask satchel, along with a close up of the insignia. It's beginning to look as if the entire regiment might have painted their gasmask carriers?

 

Photos courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

 

Here is a close up of my 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment bag.

 

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Thanks,

Mike

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world war I nerd

Mike thanks for the close up ... interesting that the Indian head & bonnet are painted black. I wonder if black was a reference to HQ Company?

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

32nd Division & 69th Regiment Coast Artillery Corps ... left hand image courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

Nice CAC Gas mask, is it for sale or trade?

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  • 4 months later...
80thdivcollector

77th & 80th Division ... left hand photo courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

 

Is the PVT OTTO Harry Leroy Gas Mask Bag for sale. I have his razor set, canteen cup, wallet, blue ridge patch, etc. I've also a gas mask bag which is marked with his name and ASN.

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CharliesYearOldYogurt

Just wondering, have you guys ever seen the actaul gas mask painted on? It seems like something a soldier might do, although it could compromise the mask.

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RustyCanteen

I doubt that anyone would have been allowed to do that during wartime. I have seen a few with a little writing on them, but even that I suspect was post armistice. The masks were supposed to be exchanged so that the filters could be replaced, so it is doubtful that too many of the millions of masks produced were kept by the same man from start to finish. I would not be surprised if there was an order sent out prohibiting any personalization of the mask facepiece or canister. Keep in mind too, that many (but certainly not all) of the masks and their carriers/bags/satchels were post-Armistice re-issue.

 

RC

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Here is Sgt Melvin Dennie's art work he added to his gas mask bag. Sgt Dennie was a member of the 88th Division and was from Iowa. I have his uniform and helmet as well.

Kim

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  • 1 year later...

 

 

Pretty much a match to a named uniform group I have with painted bag and helmet

 

Hi R, feel free to add it if you can get some photos of it. Always nice to see these, especially this time of year when some of us still reserve a thought or two for the doughboys of 1917-1918. Long live their memory; their stories are preserved through the artifacts they passed on to us.

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Great thread here....I will add a couple things as well.

 

Here is a photo of the HQ Staff of the 110th MG Battalion, 29 Division AEF....most of these men have put some sort of embellishment on their gas mask bags as well as their helmets. Also pictured below is the helmet and gas mask carried by Pvt. Paul A. Klonowski, Company L, 116th US Infantry.

 

IMO all done post-Armistice within the 29th Division, at least I havent seen anything like this within the 29th that can be proven it was done on the front linein terms of what their duties required of them in the 3 weeks in combat north of Verdun, they simply wouldnt have had time.

 

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  • 7 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
jayhawkhenry

Here is one I have from a man in the 35th Division. It is marked with a black triangle, like the patch on his uniform sleeve.

 

 

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