1915 Rucksack

[ReinerMB42]

Good Morning, Gentlemen,

did anybody hear of WWI-Rucksacks? I recently found one on a fleamarket.
(Sorry, no pics yet) Construction is lightly different from WWII-ones, the flap is
closed by 3 buttons, the equipment taps & D-Ring on the sides are like that on
the Tornister, as are the carrying straps. They are both marked "Otto Koch & Co,
Berlin S.O. 1915". Inside is a pocket for the mess kit, and on the inside front are 2
small pockets. I didn´t know yet that there are Rucks in WWI. Is it eventually
Pionier equipment?
Thanks and have a nice day.

Best regards

Reiner

[Gustaf B]

I have seen severl examples of WWI rucksacks, there is an exapmle show in Johan Somers's first volume on German equipment on pages 86 and 87. It is similar to the WWI Austrian rucksack except for leather straps on the German model. All I have seen have a drawstring closure, with a small flap with a single buckle strap. This does not mean that other closures could not have been produced.
Best
Gus

[Hoss]

Regimentals has a rucksack for sale:

http://www.regimentals.co.uk/viewphoto.php?x=3

The German Mountain Troop rucksack was different, carried a lot more gear.
I bet me last dollar Chip has one.


Eric

[Chip M]

Well, I do have a rucksack, but it is more like the one you have shown. These were worn by all sorts of units with everything from mountain troops to Landsturm old guys. The use of them really took off in 1915 when the Tornisters were in short supply for a time. I believe that some civilian patterns were even purchased by the government in the emergency situation. There are lots of variations. Kraus shows several styles. I think calling them something from an elite unit is a real stretch. The majority were issued out to support troops in my opinion.

Chip

[ReinerMB42]

1915 Rucksack

Good morning, Gents,

thank you for your responses. The Ruck I have is not a small one, and has the standard 4 leather tabs for straps on the front, under the closure buttons for the flap. It has a drawstring closure, too. As soon as I have a camera, I will post Pictures. I thought of it as Specialist equipment, because I have seen no pictures
of rucks in WW I yet. But now it seems, that they had been more common.
Again, thank you for your quick answers.
Have a nice day, best regards from Germany

Reiner

[Gustaf B]

Hey Eric,
My slow response saved me a few bucks, I was going to bet you were wrong about Chip having one, I was going to bet he had several.
Best
gus

[Hoss]

Doesnt matter Gus
Your a member, you owe me a buck. Send to 'Help Hoss fund' I need it.
I tell you those rucksacks are almost a collecting field by themselves, as Chip says they are so many variables.
Show up on ebay.de sometimes, I dont know what to make of them.

Eric

[Gustaf B]

Silly me, when you said you would bet your last dollar, I figured that you would bet the bank, not that you only had one dollar left

[LA MITRAILLE]

Hello,

everybody know the special mountain troops bag for Jäger, with the badger's head and made with badger's hair



But when they made rucksack for the mountain troops, they still made the badger's head on the top of the rucksack







There is also a button to make the nose but on my rucksack wich is dated 1915, it's missing.....

Regards
david

[Hoss]

Hello David
On the badger's hair pack flap, the two pieces of leather, are they for the boiler handle?
I,ve an early 1898 infantry pack with the same tabs.

Eric


Correction: I see the boiler (messkit) would,nt fit. What are those tabs for??

[ReinerMB42]

1915 Ruck

David,

that´s exactly the same as my Rucksack!
Thanks a lot.

Best regards

Reiner

[Chip M]

Actually, this pattern is preferable, in my opinion, as it has the four loops for the Kochgeschirr. To me, that helps separate it from the possible civilian examples. Of course, original issue marks are even better.

Chip

[Chip M]

Just to follow up on my point about the Rucksack being worn by non-elite troops.....here is a fellow that is just about as non-elite as you can get and who is wearing one. A Schipper from an Armierungs Batl.!

Though you cannot see the Rucksack, you can see the canvas and leather shoulder braces with no supports for the cartridge pouches and the end of his blanket roll, which is sitting down very low and sticking out. He has no weapons, belt or shoulder straps and an armband with some lettering and the number 45.

Chip

[Hoss]

Nice photo Chip
What,s a Schipper for us uneducated. Is it a dockyard worker

Eric

[Chip M]

No, it was the nickname of the Armierungs troops, meaning "shoveller". They did most of the labor of wiring parties, trench digging and unloading of materiel. They were just general laborers, who at first carried no weapons, but as trench warfare required their presence at the front, they eventually were armed.

Chip