German helmet

Beautiful and very rare canteen most probably made by the Dutch company VerBliFa (De Vereenigde Blikfabrieken) during the German occupation. The canteen is in used but good condition. VerBliFa (De Vereenigde Blikfabrieken) was the main manufacturer of the Dutch pre 1940 army mess kits, canteens and other stuff, these items were made in the exact same way. Stamped sheet metal and then tinned! The canteen is missing its cup. On the back of the harness a fork is fitted from the four piece cutlery set which has been there since the end of the war. The canteen is unmarked which is often the case with these Dutch produced canteens. Maybe one of the rarest variant of the M42 canteen there is, and for sure one of the best canteens I have ever offered!

Textbook late war M42 canteen in overall good condition.  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!

Excellent textbook late war M31 (Feldflasche) canteen with aluminium flask in stone mint unissued condition. The flask and the felt cover are both nicely marked EEF 41 which indicates production by Ewald Eigenbrod Aluminium-und Metallwarenfabrik, Freiling  in 1943. In textbook configuration with an excellent black urea resin (type of bakelite) cup marked 46/S which is usual for this manufacturer. Excellent matching canteen in a condition that would be very hard to upgrade!

Textbook coconut canteen marked HRE 41 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. Hard to find example in the first year of production!

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!

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!