A-frame – Brown leather – 1939
The A-frame or Gefechtsgepäck für Infanterie Schützenkompanien was a small canvas frame which was carried on the Y-strap. It was introduced in 1939. The A-frame was a way for soldiers to pack away their secondary necessities and to divide the weight more evenly on the equipment.
The A-frame carries the following items:
Messkit or M31 Kochgeschirr
Quarter shelter or M31 Zeltbahn
A-frame bag or Beutel zum Gefechtsgepäck
The A-frame bag or Beutel zum Gefechtsgepäck was used to carry a sweater, rifle cleaning kit and the Eiserne Portion.
The A-frame was made in a few varieties showing various ways of manufacture. Later in the war the bags where also made from recycled equipment.
Model: Early 1939 dated with Aluminium hardware
Markings: Unreadable maker marks on both the frame as the bag
Year: Frame as well as the bag are marked 1939
Maker: Unreadable but produced in 1939
Material: Webbing and brown natural leather
Hardware: Aluminium
Notes: The first batch of A-frames like this one was only made in a small trial batch and issued to some of the troops for the 1940 campaign.
