Original German WWII Field Gear Lot – 1941 Dated Luftwaffe Blue M31 Breadbag, Tropical Coconut Canteen, and Mess Kit Original Items

Original Item: Only One Set Available. This is a lovely set of German WWII Field gear, representing a good portion of what a soldier would carry as part of their standard loadout. It includes a lovely 1942 dated Luftwaffe M31 “Breadbag” Haversack with strap, an Afrikakorps Coconut Canteen by Ritter with canvas harness, and a lovely pre-war M31 aluminum Kochgeschirr (cookware) mess kit.

The M31 Breadbag is in the correct Lufwaffe blue color, with leather fittings that were the standard issue for non-tropical areas. It has the original shoulder strap, and shows overall moderate wear from service. The strap with the hook still has a clear 1941 date on it, and the maker looks to read GEORG DIENMANN, though it is not entirely clear.

The bag itself does appear to be complete and has all original buttons, clips and leather securing tabs retained.  The blue canvas body still has a lovely color to it and is similar in appearance to all other M31 breadbags. It shows some small tears, fading of the color, as well as some oxidation and finish loss on the fittings.  As far as we can tell there is nothing missing, though some of the leather closure straps are stretched out with some finish cracking.

The canteen is a lovely example of a German Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) laminated wood canteen (Tropen Feldflasche), often referred to as the “coconut” canteen, due to its unusual appearance. These are constructed of pressed laminated wood over an aluminum body, sometimes secured by rayon straps. The Heinrich Ritter company produced this before, during, and after the war, using different markings. This example has the wartime tropical canvas harness, which is in good shape, with a Patent Ritter marked belt clip.

The canteen shows some age, with some wear and cracking to the wood laminate, but no major damage. The back of the canteen is clearly marked:

D.R.G.M.
H.R.E. 42
D.R.P. angm.

The maker marking on this indicates manufacture by Heinrich Ritter of Esslingen in 1942. The other markings indicate that it is a registered design with the German trademark office. The bakelite cup and cap are marked with mold numbers, but no maker mark that we can decipher, and are both in very good condition. Overall a lovely example.

The last item in this set is a lovely Wehrmacht green painted German Mess Tin M31 or Kochgeschirr Modell 1931 (cooking pot Model 31). A scaled down version of the earlier M1910, it is a kidney shaped cooking pot with a total capacity of 1.7 liters. It consists of 2 parts: the pot with the wire handle, and a cover with a handle to use as a plate. 

This is the early / pre war aluminum version, and it is marked on the lower pot by the handle attachment with ESB / 35, while the top is marked ESB 39 on the hinge for the handle. This means both components were made by Eduard Sommerfeld, Berlin, but in different years, definitely a mismatch that happened commonly in service. Condition is very good, showing only light wear to the paint, with some denting around the edges.

A lovely German field gear set from WWII, ready to add to your collection, or maybe help start one!