Introduced in 1942, the M42 dropped the rolled edge of earlier models to speed up wartime production. This example is fitted with netting, used in the field to hold foliage and break up the helmet’s outline, a practice common to both Heer and Waffen-SS troops.
This fluted steel canister type carried every German soldier’s gas mask and was one of the most recognisable pieces of field equipment. This one wears a two-tone camouflage finish, applied to help it blend in with the terrain.
A case for the 10x50 service binoculars, a higher-powered glass issued in far smaller numbers than the standard 6x30, finished in two colours. Cases for the 10x50 are seldom seen today.
Three-pocket cartridge pouch for the K98k rifle, worn in pairs on the belt, each pocket holding two five-round stripper clips. This pouch has been painted in camouflage to match the soldier’s other equipment.
A drum container for the MG34 and MG42 machine guns, which held a short belt so the gun could be fired on the move in the assault role. An essential piece of the machine gun team’s equipment.
Enlisted man’s belt buckle of the Waffen-SS, bearing the eagle and the motto “Meine Ehre heißt Treue”. Marked RODO, the trademark of Overhoff & Cie of Lüdenscheid, one of the principal makers of these buckles.
A case for the standard 6x30 service binoculars carried by officers and NCOs, made of Prestoff, a pressed cardboard material used in place of leather as wartime shortages grew, and finished in two colours. Marked cxn, the wartime code for Emil Busch AG of Rathenow.
M31 mess kit, issued to every German soldier and usually carried on the back of the belt. This example is painted in a three-tone camouflage scheme, a striking variation of a standard piece of kit.
A late-war expedient version of the German stick grenade, with a concrete head cast in place of steel as raw materials ran short. These simplified grenades reflect Germany’s worsening supply situation in the final months of the war. Inert display piece.
Lightweight cotton drill (Drillich) trousers, cut for armoured vehicle crews and printed in the Waffen-SS oak leaf camouflage pattern. Designed for summer wear and for use over the wool uniform.
A magazine pouch for the MP38 and MP40 submachine guns, each holding three magazines and normally worn in pairs. Maker coded ewx and dated 1944, a late-war example.
M35 helmet with both police decals, later finished in camouflage paint for field service. Police units served alongside the armed forces on many fronts, and camouflaged police helmets are highly sought after.
Germany’s M38 helmet was designed for the Fallschirmjäger, the Luftwaffe’s paratroopers, without the flared brim of the standard helmet to reduce injury on landing. This example carries a late-war tan camouflage finish.
Standard fluted steel gas mask canister, finished in a three-tone camouflage scheme. Camouflage paint on these canisters varies widely, making each one individual.
A rare six-pocket pouch for MP38 and MP40 magazines. These magazines were normally carried in a pair of three-pocket pouches, which makes this six-pocket version an unusual find. Marked eyp4.
Y-straps carried the weight of the belt and combat equipment across the soldier’s shoulders. As the war went on, these straps were simplified to save materials and production time, and late-war examples like this one reflect those wartime economies.
An M42 Luftwaffe helmet finished in a three-tone camouflage of the kind associated with the 1944 Normandy campaign, with chicken wire fitted over the shell to hold foliage. Helmets with both their original paint and their wire still in place are among the most sought-after from the Western Front.
Fluted steel gas mask canister, finished in a Normandy-style camouflage pattern. Field-applied camouflage made every canister different, and Normandy schemes are a favorite among collectors of Western Front equipment.
A steel ammunition case for the belted rounds that fed the MG34 and MG42 machine guns, finished in camouflage paint. These cases were carried by the gun crew’s ammunition bearers and saw hard use at the front.
Enlisted man’s belt buckle of the Luftwaffe, bearing the flying eagle within a wreath, in the painted finish made for wear with the canvas tropical belt. Tropical equipment was issued to Luftwaffe personnel serving in North Africa and the Mediterranean.
Original Waffen-SS vehicle license plate associated with La Gleize, the village in the Belgian Ardennes where the German armored advance came to a halt during the Battle of the Bulge and many vehicles were left behind. Waffen-SS vehicles carried their own registration plates, with the SS runes in place of the usual "WH" or "WL" prefix, followed by the vehicle number. The plate reads "[to confirm: markings]". [to confirm: condition – finish and % remaining, mounting holes, damage]. [to confirm: maker]. [to confirm: provenance – how the plate is connected to La Gleize]. A very nice piece of Ardennes history.
Frontline Archive: Battle of the Bulge photographs →Original German late-war MG spare barrel carrier in a tan finish. The barrel of the MG34 and MG42 had to be changed often during sustained fire, and the crew carried spare barrels in steel carriers like this one, with a hinged lid and a carrying handle. The tan finish is typical of late-war equipment, after the dark yellow base color was introduced in 1943. [to confirm: factory or field-applied finish and % remaining]. It is marked "[to confirm: markings / maker code / date]". [to confirm: condition – lid, latch, handle and interior]. [to confirm: provenance]. A very nice late-war piece of the machine gun team’s equipment.
Original German MG spare barrel carrier in a camouflage finish. Carriers like this held the spare barrels of the MG34 and MG42, which the crew changed during sustained fire, and they were carried at the front with the rest of the gun team’s equipment. Camouflage paint was added to field equipment to help it blend in with the terrain. [to confirm: camouflage colors – base and secondary colors, % remaining, factory or field-applied]. Matte colors and contrasting [to confirm]. It is marked "[to confirm: markings / maker code / date]". [to confirm: condition – lid, latch, handle and interior]. [to confirm: provenance]. Choice.
Original large German Panzer wrench associated with La Gleize, in the Belgian Ardennes, where German armor was abandoned at the end of the advance during the Battle of the Bulge. Every tank carried a crew tool kit, and heavy tools of this size were used for maintenance in the field, such as work on the tracks and running gear. It is marked "[to confirm: markings / maker / size]". [to confirm: condition – finish and % remaining, wear]. [to confirm: provenance – how the wrench is connected to La Gleize]. A great piece of the tank crew’s everyday equipment.
Frontline Archive: Battle of the Bulge photographs →Late-war German "Tragegestell" in a tan ersatz material. The "Tragegestell" was the carrying frame of the assault pack, introduced in 1939, which hooked on to the Y-straps and held the mess kit, the shelter quarter and a small bag for the soldier’s kit. Late in the war, substitute materials replaced leather and the earlier webbing as supplies ran short. [to confirm: construction – materials and color of the frame, straps and fittings]. It is marked "[to confirm: markings / maker code / date]". [to confirm: components present – bag and straps]. [to confirm: condition]. [to confirm: provenance]. A very nice example of late-war German field gear.
Original German M31 mess kit, the "Kochgeschirr", in a three-tone camouflage finish. The mess kit was issued to every German soldier and was usually carried on the back of the belt or on the assault pack frame. Camouflage paint on a standard piece of kit like this makes for a striking variation. [to confirm: camouflage colors – base and secondary colors, % remaining, factory or field-applied]. [to confirm: lid, handle and strap present]. It is marked "[to confirm: markings / maker code / date]". [to confirm: condition]. [to confirm: provenance]. Choice.
Original German "Gurttrommel" drum container for the MG34 and MG42, associated with Normandy. The drum clipped to the side of the gun and held a short belt, so the gun could be used on the move in the assault role without a loose belt hanging free. This drum is an empty display piece. [to confirm: finish – color and % remaining]. It is marked "[to confirm: markings / maker code / date]". [to confirm: condition – lid, catch and carrying handle]. [to confirm: provenance – how the drum is connected to Normandy]. A very nice piece of the machine gun team’s equipment.
Frontline Archive: Normandy photographs →
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