Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a German WWII Issue M31 canteen water bottle rig, showing some great period wear. Referred to in German as the Feldflasche Modell 1931 (Field bottle model 1931), these are usually found made of aluminum. However towards the end of the war, Aluminum, which was never plentiful in Germany, was in short supply, so the cups and later bottles were switched to steel, and coated with red enamel on the inside and outside, much like British canteens used during the war.
The set comes with a red bakelite screw top cap, a genuine wool cover with four snaps, and a steel cup. This is held together by the standard black leather belt harness, which has a painted steel belt hook marked Patent Ritter on the back for attaching to the combat rigging.
The steel cup in this set is marked by the handle with ESB 43 for 1943 manufacture by Eduard Sommerfeld, Berlin. The top cap still has the rubber sealing washer, though we cannot guarantee it still holds water. The canteen itself is in very good shape, showing just a bit of missing enamel on the steel body. The cup looks to be a bit crushed, and is correctly painted green on the outside, with red enamel on the interior.
Condition of the set is very nice, showing moderate use from service. Comes more than ready for further research and display.