Canteens

Textbook M42 (Eis.) canteen cup in good condition. The cup is nicely marked AEMA 43 which indicates production Annweiler Email-u.Metall-Werke in 1943. Interestingly this is not an enameled example and a regular steel M42 (Eis.) cup which is rare to encounter from this manufacturer!

Textbook M31 (Alum.) large capacity canteen or 1L Labeflasche in very good condition. The canteen is nicely marked DMN 43 which indicates production by Deutsche Metallwerke AG, Neustadt in 1943. The canteen comes in the textbook configuration with its original bakelite drinking cup. Note that the small metal ring which attaches the strap to the screw cap is missing. Textbook 1L Labeflasche!

Textbook M42 canteen in very good, most likely unissued condition. The flask itself, the straps and the cover are all nicely marked MnN 43 which indicates production by Metallindustrie GmbH. Neunkirchen-Saar (MENESA). The canteen features very nice black coloured pigskin leather straps. The canteen is a typical late war configuration with a black phenolic resin (bakelite) canteen cup. Textbook M42 canteen in excellent condition!

Textbook late war M42 canteen in overall good condition. The canteen has a nice cover with desirable riveted loops, which are sadly a bit damaged. The flask itself is nicely marked MN 43 which (most probably) indicates production by Metallindustrie GmbH. Neunkirchen-Saar (MENESA) in 1943. The canteen comes in a typical late war configuration with a matching cup. Nice late war example!

Beautiful and textbook tropical M31 canteen with webbing straps. The canteen is marked ESB 42 indicating production by Eduard Sommerfeld, Berlin in 1942. The canteen is a beautiful in my opinion unissued example that would be impossible to upgrade.

Textbook example M42 canteen in very good condition. The canteen is a typical late war example with a green steel cup. Both the flask itself and the cup are marked SMM 44 which indicates production by Süddeutsche Metallwarenfabrik, Mussbach in 1943. Textbook matching M42 canteen!

steelTextbook example M42 canteen in very good condition. The canteen is a typical late war example with a green steel cup. Both the flask itself and the cup are marked SMM 43 which indicates production by Süddeutsche Metallwarenfabrik, Mussbach in 1943. Textbook matching M42 canteen!

Textbook coconut canteen marked HRE 43 indicating production by Heinrich Ritter, Esslingen. Typical example with first pattern friction buckle closing strap. The canteen is in good used condition and complete with its factory HRE 43 marked olive M31 style canteen cup which was specifically made for the Coconut canteen. Nice variant with wide horizontal support strap.

To learn more about the coconut canteens you can read my article about them here; https://fjm44.com/articles/the-coconut-canteen-ritters-mystery-canteen/

Textbook coconut canteen marked HRE 42 indicating production by Heinrich Ritter, Esslingen. Typical example with first pattern friction buckle closing strap. The canteen is in good used condition and complete with its phenolic resin canteen cup.

To learn more about the coconut canteens you can read my article about them here; https://fjm44.com/articles/the-coconut-canteen-ritters-mystery-canteen/

‘Last Ditch’ coconut canteen in good condition. These coconut canteens with simplified harnesses are of a unknown, exact specific design. Collectors discuss two possible specific uses for this design. One being that they are post war reissued with a simplified harness. The second is that they are unfinished examples that have been hastily fitted with a make shift strap and cap system in 1945 as a ‘last ditch’ effort. One could argue that they should have then been dated 1945 but this is not per se a must. I have observed many(!) 1942 and 1943 with 1944 dated buckles. This is a indication that either they kept using the 1941, 1942 and 1943 molds up until 1945 ór simply still had stock which could explain the fact that no coconut canteen bodies are produced in 1944. For a early post war manufacture it would not be logical that the straps would vary as much as they do because a post war peace time manufacture would not have the need utilising every single scrap piece of leather. Nor would it be a necessity in a post war Germany littered with wartime uniforms, equipment and for sure canteens.

This is for me, the most logical explanation that this is a ‘last ditch’ effort in fielding these otherwise unfinished canteens or produced from 1942 molds. The metal chain on the lid is painted in a clear lacquer which has toned yellow, it is not made of brass. Rare variant!

Nice large 1L canteen or Labeflasche in very good condition. The canteens flask itself is nicely marked MN 41 which indicates production by Metallindustrie GmbH. Neunkirchen-Saar (MENESA) in 1941 and comes in configuration with a black phenolic resin cup! Nice canteen in good condition!

Very nice original RAD or Reichsarbeitsdienst issued canteen in good condition. The canteen cover is nicely marked W.A.L. 2. 37 which indicates production by Westfalische Aluminium Industrie, Junger & Co., Lüdenscheid in february 1937. The cover features a nice typical label which names this canteen to; Arbeitsmann Herb. Basner. Sadly the upper press stud is damaged and not functional anymore. Very nice example with a RAD label!

Nice original large 1L aluminium canteen or Labeflasche in good condition. The canteen itself, the strap and cover are all nicely marked EEF 41 which indicates production by Ewald Eigenbrod Aluminium-und Metallwarenfabrik, Freiling which is a uncommon maker to find! The canteen comes together with a nice black bakelite cup which is dated 1944. The cup could have been added post war but the canteen was found like this. Nice original 1L Labeflasche!

Late war manufactured short front strap as part of the late war 2-piece canteen straps. This is a long example as used on the large 1L capacity canteens or Labeflasche. This example is manufactured out of typical pebbled leather. Very hard to find spare to complete a late war canteen!

Late war M42 canteen in overall good condition. The flask itself is nicely marked SMM 43 which indicates production by Süddeutsche Metallwarenfabrik, Mussbach in 1943. The canteen comes in a typical late war configuration with a black bakelite cup marked gfc 1944. Nice late war example!

Textbook M42 (steel) canteen in excellent condition. The red painted steel canteen itself is nicely marked SMM 43 which indicates production by Süddeutsche Metallwarenfabrik, Mussbach in 1943. The canteen comes in a textbook late war configuration with a black bakelite cup and pebbled leather straps. Very nice example!

Incredibly rare original orange bakelite canteen cup. This is a rare opportunity to buy original orange bakelite canteen cup. This example was certainly MPD code marked just like the other examples but the markings are completely faded because of the time in the ground. The MPD code F7/K indicates production by a still unknown maker and the usage of urea resin (which is a certain type of Bakelite) with an organic filler material. The bakelite surface is affected by the time in the ground and thereby lost some of its smooth surface. The cup only has some minor discolorations which could probably be cleaned some more. Beautiful original and very rare example!

This cup was found in Berlin recently together with 12 complete and 5 damaged cups. They were dug up underneath remnants of a concrete floor together with other canteen cups and butterdishes. In 15 years of collecting I’ve only found one example for my personal collection: this is only the second time I’ve been able to acquire one. I have kept 3 cups for my personal collection, other then these there are no other orange cups on the market today that I am aware of. Rarer then most Knights Crosses.

Nice original “tropical” M31 canteen in good, field used condition. This example comes in a configuration with a black bakelite cup which is sadly cracked as can be seen in the pictures. The flask itself is nicely marked emk 42 which indicates production by Aluminiumwerke Göttingen, GmbH. in 1942, this is one of the rarer to encounter manufacturers out there! Very nice example from a rare maker with webbing straps!