Militaria

‘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!

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/