Original French WWI M2 Gas Mask Storage Tin with Officers’ Horizon Blue Wool Carry Case & Leather Strap Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is a rather rare French item from the Great War. This is a storage tin for the M2 Gas Mask with an Officers’ Horizon blue carry bag with intact leather carry strap. The M2 gas mask was a French-made gas mask used by French, British and American forces from April 1916 to August 1918 during World War I. The M2 was fabricated in large quantities, with about 29,300,000 being made during the war. It was intended to protect the wearer from at least five hours’ exposure to phosgene gas, a common chemical weapon of the time.

The tin is in great condition with a solid shape and appears to be complete. The wool horizon blue carry case is also in good condition but does show age and wear. There are scattered moth nips present as well as tearing and holes, but is still rather solid. The leather carry strap is surprisingly solid, soft and presented without any extensive damage.

A wonderful, rare French Officers M2 gas mask carrier assembly that comes more than ready for further research and display.

The M2 mask was based on a design proposed in 1915 by René Louis Gravereaux of Paris. An order of 600,000 masks was produced in February 1916 and introduced for British forces the following month. The first M2 model was produced in only one size and often incurred damage when it was folded for placement in a metal container. A second model introduced in April 1916 was produced in three different sizes and included two separate eyepieces, so folding it would not cause damage. British forces were issued 6.2 million units of the second model between May and November 1916 and used it as late as August 1918.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, it was unprepared for chemical warfare. The US Army issued its soldiers the British-made Small Box Respirator to protect against chemical attack, and the French-made M2 gas mask in case a mask had to be worn for an extended period of time. The untrained soldiers tended to put on the Small Box Respirator when first confronted with a gas attack and then switch to the M2 when they realized they would have to wear it for a long time. While switching gear, some soldiers inhaled the poison gas and became casualties.