finding an anti gas mask nest

[gerard]

Mains detection Operation Nordwind was one of the last military offensives of the Wehrmacht on the Western Front during the Second World War. It took place from December 31, 1944 to January 25, 1945 in northern Alsace and Lorraine.

I often walk in this area between two well-known villages, there is a tough fight, the 45th Infantry Division history for the period of January 1945 and particularly about the battle of Reipertswiller between the 15th January and the 20th January 1945.
I goes in place a lot of times and I always impressed about all the US Positions we can found there, we can found a lot of relics there who bears witness to the violence of the fighting.

 

 

[4th Miss Cav]

Very nice finds. You must have an incredible dug artifact collection. Good luck on your future hunts. 
 

David

[gerard]

Thank you for your compliment, I will post other finds, it's not what's missing in detection parts.

[ShibaLegend]

That's awesome. The fact they cleaned up so nicely is even cooler.

[gerard]

which is good in our sector in Alsace the grounds of our forest are sandy and in detection the objects are better preserved

[The Rooster]

Seems like i saw in a movie or read somewhere that after Dday,

the U.S. troops tossed their masks alongside the roads.

I wonder, do you think these are some of the discarded masks?

[QMGRS.com]

Great finds! And in great condition too after 80 years.

[gerard]

On 5/26/2024 at 2:44 AM, The Rooster said:

Seems like i saw in a movie or read somewhere that after Dday,

the U.S. troops tossed their masks alongside the roads.

I wonder, do you think these are some of the discarded masks?

What I heard was that they prepared for an attack on the hill just next door, perhaps to add weight, but what is strange is that there is no tubing between the mask and the cartridge

[gerard]

On 5/26/2024 at 7:53 PM, QMGRS.com said:

Great finds! And in great condition too after 80 years.

Yes as you said in very good condition

[The Rooster]

On 5/30/2024 at 11:19 AM, gerard said:

What I heard was that they prepared for an attack on the hill just next door, perhaps to add weight, but what is strange is that there is no tubing between the mask and the cartridge

That is strange as the rubber hoses you think would last? Unless someone

had found another use for the rubber hoses? Could be why they are missing?

[The Rooster]

You could keep the bag the mask came in and the rubber hoses

would be useful. I cant think of any other use for the filter and mask.

So makes sense thats all you find. Im guessing there were no canvas bags found either?

[gerard]

13 hours ago, The Rooster said:

You could keep the bag the mask came in and the rubber hoses

would be useful. I cant think of any other use for the filter and mask.

So makes sense thats all you find. Im guessing there were no canvas bags found either?

There were only the mask and the cartridges nothing else, apart from DR4 dispensers, MK2 grenades, I didn't look everywhere at night starting to fall

[GWS]

I see one of the cartridges still has a small section of the hose attached to it, I wonder if they intentionally "disabled" the masks by removing the hose to prevent anyone from using them again? Nice find in any case!

 

   Steve

[GWS]

I just now checked, if this was an M1A1 or M1A2 mask, it didn't use a hose, the canister attached directly to the bottom of the mask.  That would explain the lack of any hoses being found. Thanks for posting this, I am always amazed at what can be found there from 80 plus years ago!

 

 

Steve

[gerard]

8 hours ago, GWS said:

I just now checked, if this was an M1A1 or M1A2 mask, it didn't use a hose, the canister attached directly to the bottom of the mask.  That would explain the lack of any hoses being found. Thanks for posting this, I am always amazed at what can be found there from 80 plus years ago!

 

 

Steve

I'm thinking more of the M3A1 anti-gas mask which if approached as closely as possible in view of its shape, thank you for your follow-up and your compliment

[268th C.A.]

After landing on Guadalcanal, my dad said that gas mask was left on the beach, Thrown at the first opportunity.  I wasn't carrying that through the Jungles. 

 

[27Division18]

Outstanding. Thanks Gerard for taking us with you (visually at least) on these extraordinary journeys of discovery!

[gerard]

On 9/26/2024 at 4:09 PM, 27Division18 said:

Outstanding. Thanks Gerard for taking us with you (visually at least) on these extraordinary journeys of discovery!

You're welcome, it's a pleasure to share with you