Canteens

Coconut canteen marked HRE 43. The canteen is in good condition. The canteen comes with its matching phenolic resin cup.

Coconut canteen marked HRE 42 in good condition. The canteen comes with its matching aluminium cup marked HRE 42. The leather neck strap is also a wide variant with grey painted buckles.

Textbook coconut canteen marked HRE 43 indicating production by Heinrich Ritter, Esslingen with second pattern roller buckle closing strap. Sadly the small leather neck strap is broken. The canteen is in good used condition and complete with its phenolic resin canteen cup marked 46/S.

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/

Very nice first pattern Coconut pattern canteen in nicely combat used condition. The canteen is in untouched condition and shows traces of real usage and is a nice combat used example! The canteen is a coconut pattern which were only made by HRE, this specific example is nicely marked HRE 42 which indicates production by Heinrich Ritter, Esslingen in 1942. Note that the strap from the closing cap is heavily damaged and almost trough the complete fabric! Nice original example which is rather hard to encounter in combat used condition!

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the coconut canteens can be read 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. Rare variant!

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/

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 46/K. Nice examples with the Initials FJ.

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/

Black bakelite canteen cup marked 4M S which is a unknown but less common manufacturer in excellent condition.

Black bakelite canteen cup marked 46 S which is a unknown manufacturer in excellent condition.

Very nice large 10 liter Trinkwasser or drinking water canister in very good condition. The canister still retains a lot of its original factory applied tan paint. Excellent example for any display!

Rare aluminium canteen cup marked OLHM 40 indicating production by O. L. Härtel, Markersbach, Erzgebirge. The cup is in good condition and would be a great addition to its matching canteen. This is a very hard to find maker marking!

Nice original M31 canteen with webbing straps in good, used condition. The flask itself is nicely marked ESB 42 which indicates production by Eduard Sommerfeld, Berlin in 1942. The canteen comes in a textbook configuration with a bakelite cup marked gfc. Sadly the cup is cracked as can be seen. Nice original example with webbing straps!

Textbook late war M42 canteen with brown leather straps in very good condition. The canteen features very nice and aesthetic brown leather straps. The flask is marked MN 43 which indicates production by Menesa Metallindustrie GmbH. Neunkirchen-Saar in 1943. The canteen comes in a textbook late war configuration with a bakelite cup marked F7/S. Interestingly the cover shows a mix in press studs, some smooth and some with the typical pattern. Excellent example!

Stone mint and unissued M31 medical canteen or 1L Labeflasche complete with the original factory box as how these would be issued / delivered to the German army. The canteen is perfectly matching and nicely marked AW 39 which indicates production by a still unidentified manufacturer. Finding unissued canteens is extremely difficult, especially complete with the factory box. The factory box is nicely marked with the manufacturers mark A.W. A must have for the dedicated canteen collector from my own personal which would be simply impossible to upgrade.

Textbook M31 (Alum.) large capacity canteen or 1L Labeflasche in very good condition. The canteen is nicely multiple times marked C&CW 41 which indicates production by Colsmann & Co, Werdohl in 1941. The canteen comes in the textbook configuration with its original bakelite drinking cup marked AL/S. Textbook 1L Labeflasche which would be hard to upgrade!

Textbook late war M42 (Eis.) canteen in very good condition. The strap with the closing cap is nicely named; Gerloff, Königsee. Sadly the canteen is missing the drinking cup but that makes this and excellent example to complete with a nice steel or bakelite cup!

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!

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 phenolic resin cup. Nice late war example!