Carrier and warning flags mines

[The Jackal]

Hi Fellas,

I like to show you my latest addition to the collection. An original carrier and flags in very nice condition.

The yellow flags are used to mark safe lanes through minefields. The carrier is made of black artificial leather and contains 14 flags. The sling is made of webbing.

I feel very lucky to come accros an object like this. Not an object that is often seen and therefore very rare i gues.

Pictures; http://www.xs4all.nl/~jnve/bag%20and%20flags.html

Hope you like it.

Regards,

Jac

[Uncle Goose]

They also say they are used these flags to mark a zone that has been contaminated with things like mustard gas. Is this assumption correct or is this just a piece of ...??

I see those around here and there but in most cases in a cloth bag instead of the leather one you are showing here.

[The Jackal]

I believe the flags are intended for laying minefields and therefore the story about using them 'gasrelated' is not correct IMO.

The leather carrier is standard issue and original. I have seen the ones that are made out of cloth but the story goes that these are reproduced (fakes) or are post '45? But i don't know this for shure.

Jac

[IanC]

They also say they are used these flags to mark a zone that has been contaminated with things like mustard gas. Is this assumption correct or is this just a piece of ...??

I see those around here and there but in most cases in a cloth bag instead of the leather one you are showing here.

I also thought that they were used for marking zones that had been contaminated with gas. The only reference I have is page 183 of Vol 3 Uniforms and Traditions of the German Army.

I would be interested to hear what others have to say.

Regards

Ian

[MP44_tom]

Sigh........

These are Gas flags.............

I will show some pictures later... but there are a few threads about them....
I don't have the Heeres Dienstvorschrift (I do have a copy) which clearly indicates the use of these flags.....

Tom
www.mp44.nl

[IanC]

Thanks Tom for clarifying their purpose

[JPhilip]

Hello,
As already mentioned, these weren't meant for minefields.
They were meant to to be used by "Z teams" to delimite safe corridors in gas contaminated areas for any movements of troops if needed.
If i'm not mistaking, the minefields theory was "launched" by a dealer who had many kits for sale and no buyer. For sure, mines were more used than gas in WWII...

[MP44_tom]

Yep, unfortunately they are commonly known as mineflags.

Officially these are called "Satz Gasspürfähnchen"

Here 2 of my sets








Mostly the yellow tape is missing but fortunately I have a complete set

Here the use of the flags is shown in a series of pictures











Hope this clarifys it......

Tom
www.mp44.nl

[The Jackal]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the additional info.

The information I have comes out of an reference book, several treads from the WAF site and information that comes from dealersites. They al speak of flags used for minefields. So therefore I assumend this was to be correct.

Of course I know that books and collectors arent always correct in there statemens as it seems to be in this case. Your photo's are great as they proof the use of these items in a gas related environment. So learning all the time.

I see you have the cloth carrier as well. Do you have more information on these? Early or late war? Why two different carriers?

Jac

[Dmv]

Photo's were previously posted in this thread containing my "gas-man":

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=352774

[Grossfuss]

Flags

Hi,
If I remember correctly, I read on a dealer's list of a similar set of flags but in white and they were supposed to be for a minefield (and much rarer).
If it's any consolation - I also have a complete set with the string still round the flagpoles and the yellow tape (bought separately) - there's a picture of German POW's clearing mines in the Channel Islands and using the yellow flags!
Can it also be a case of whatever they were originally intended for being disregarded and then being used for a more logical purpose - i.e. mines?
Also when the later cloth bags were brought out wouldn't it have been obvious by then that gas was no longer a threat?
Who can say for sure?
Interesting thread though!
Grossfuss

[MP44_tom]

Hi

Well, these white flags come from a very "trustworthy" dealer () on ebay who sells a lot of crap (along with original stuff)

In my opinion these are fantasy products......

I'm very interested in seeing that picture of the POW's

I cannot imagine these were used by the german army to indicate mines... The german army regulations are very strict, and the gas threat lasted throughout WWII (gas related items such as gassheets and masks were issued until the end).

As for the cloth pouches, these aren't late war, on the contrary: these were mentioned in the official Heeres Dienstvorschrift (I believe dated 1938)
My cloth ones are dated 1940, while the ersatzstoff is dated 41

I don't know if there were full leather pouches... haven't seen them...

Tom
www.mp44.nl

[Hans Zeug]

Gas flag pouch.

Hi folks,would just like to add pictures of my pouch to the above.It is made from the so called artificial leather and contains 15 of the gas flags,it also has or did have what I think was a a marking in a box on the inside of the closeing flap(makers code swas) but has some what faded.What would be contained in the pouch?Some sort of marking tape maybe? Regards David.

[Hans Zeug]

Picture 2

#2

[MP44_tom]

Hi David

Inside the pouch there is a yellow ribbon... will take a picture of it tomorrow

Tom
www.mp44.nl