Original Belgian WWI Blue Canvas Knapsack With Mess Kit Attached – Circa 1914/15 Original Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a wonderful pair of Belgian kit items from the early half of WWI. These items are rarely encountered in today’s market, especially due to the fact that Belgium was occupied early on by the Germans. The history of Belgium in World War I traces Belgium’s role between the German invasion in 1914, through the continued military resistance and occupation of the territory by German forces to the armistice in 1918, as well as the role it played in the international war effort through its African colony and small force on the Eastern Front.

At the outbreak of the First World War Belgium was in the process of reforming her military aiming to create a wartime establishment of some 340,000 men however, this was not due to be completed until the mid 1920s. The reforms saw the introduction of conscription in 1909 with conscripts serving for fifteen months, new small arms including the excellent Mauser Model 1889 adopted and new uniforms were under consideration. But by August 1914, no new field uniform had been adopted and the Belgian infantryman still wore more or less what his predecessors had worn since 1850.

Both items are in wonderful condition but are not without fault. The items reflect those that had seen long service. The paint on the mess kit has a lot of the original black paint present but the body itself is heavily dented on the bottom with smaller dents on the sides. The handle is still firmly attached with a light coating of rust and peppering.

The knapsack/haversack is in wonderful condition with a solid blue canvas construction and leather straps. All straps, hooks and roller buckles are all present and appear to be in working order. The straps are worn though they are still mostly solid.

Comes more than ready for further research and display.