M31 Canteen – ESB 34
A small diversity of canteens used by the German army during the second world war. The Wehrmacht used a lot of different materials to produce these canteens. Aluminium and steel is used to form the flasks. Steel variants have been introduced with various finishes as early as 1942.
Also a wide variation of strap material is used from diverse sorts of leather and canvas. The covers are mostly made from felt which got really course by the end of the war. Later in the war italian uniform cloth known as gaberdine was used too. Also a 4th press stud from the cover was ommitted in the final years of production further simplifying the production.
Marking: ESB 34 on the cup, cap, flask, strap and cover
Maker: ESB indicating production by Eduard Sommerfeld, Berlin.
Year: 1934
Strap: Smooth blackened leather.
Material: Aluminum
Cover: Felt with four painted press studs.
Other notes: This is the earliest M31 canteen I ever encountered so far. Standard equipment early dated like this is really hard to find!
Please note these articles are for reference only and not for sale!
L. Keetels collection
