What do the numbers painter on to gas masks correspond to?

[Jean-Loup]

I was wondering these days how the number painted onto each gas mask was chosen? Was it the number from the dog tag? Something else? Does anybody have any factual information about this?

JL

[JPhilip]

Hello,
numbers painted on the canisters indicate the registration number of that gasmask set within the unit. Yours means that it was the 192nd issued to a soldier belonging to the concerned unit.

[Jean-Loup]

OK; thanks, so it defenetely had nothing to do with the dog tag number. Too bad as that would offer many research possibilities...

JL

[michiel01]

Very nice canister!!

this might help you:

00192

(28.4.1940-14.9.1940) Ortskommandantur (II) 913,

(1.2.1941-11.7.1941) Ortskommandantur (B) 913,

(27.1.1942-14.7.1942) gestrichen, wurde Fp.Nr. 05975 A,

(1.8.1943-23.3.1944) 30.8.1943 2. Sanitäts-Kompanie 183,

(7.11.1944-Kriegsende) 8.11.1944 Sanitäts-Kompanie 183.

[Glenn Barbaritz]

Damn Jean Loup, did you read my mind? I was thinking this same thing late last night but was too tired to take a pic of my mask/cannister and post them here. I was gonna do it today after work and ask the same deal. what a coincidence. now I know too. I will still be posting a pic though as I would love to know the info on my numbers if anyone out there can help me. the numbers are 343a. anyone know these by chance? JPhilip, Michiel01?... Glenn

[michiel01]

Hello Glenn,

Offcourse I've got that one also, here it comes:

00343

(Mobilmachung-1.1.1940) 5. Fahrkolonne Infanterie-Divisions-Kolonne 231,

(28.4.1940-14.9.1940) 6. Fahrkolonne Infanterie-Divisions-Kolonne 169,

(12.7.1941-26.1.1942) I. Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 1,

(25.1.1943-31.7.1943) II. Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 11.

Because of the "a" it is, I believe and please correct me if I'm wrong, most likely it belongs to one of the first to possibilities listed above.

Michiel

[Adrian Stevenson]

If a number is three digits long I would tend to think, like JPhilip, that the number would be that of a soldiers roll number from his dog tag. But a longer five digit number would stand a much better chance of being a Feldpost number.

Cheers, Ade.

[Daniele C]

i did the same question few weeks ago on the order research forum but no answer....

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=250049

[Jean-Loup]

Hmm, there now seem to be very contradicting opinions here...

Michiel, I dont understand what the information you are posting is. It is my understanding that the number on the mask was individual (or almost) to each person within a unit. If everybody had the same number in the same unit, there would be no point of painting the number on at all.

To me the most logical would be that the soldiers were told to paint on their stammrollnummers on the gas mask box. That way it is easy to see who mask the number corresponds to.

Is there any real factual information about this anywhere? Any veteran groups that included both dog tag and gas mask?

JL

PS Glen, I also though of the gas mask question last night before falling asleep. I had to get up, and turn the light on, to write down on a piece of paper not to forget to ask about this.

[Jean-Loup]

This grouping that has both dog tag and gas mask from the same soldier in it may hold the solution to my question: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=162380

[michiel01]

Sorry for not being very clear.

A year or two ago I asked the same question about the number on gasmaskcanisters to a senior collector. He told me that the number was the feldpostnumber of the soldiers unit. He gave me then a copy (hardcopy) of the list of feldpostnumbers. That is the information I gave you. The units this specific number (feldpostnumber) was assigned to.

But the statement you made, that it would be strange everyone in the same unit has the same number really make sense... It would be quite akward. Also because of the fact the mask has the number on it aswell in some occasions.

So it might be I am wrong (won't deny that!) or that both options are possible.

best regards,

Michiel

[Jean-Loup]

The gas mask had a number painted on it in the first place because it was vital that every soldier have HIS mask, his size, and with his settings ready at a moments notice in case of a gas attack.
For me it would be very illogical that the number is a Feldpostnummer for this reason.
Also, most masks have just 3 or 4 numbers, like on the dog tags, where as Feldpostnummers mostly have 5 numbers. I dont remember ever seeing a mask with 5 numbers.
So I think it is wrong that FPN was on the mask. But thanks for posting the info anyways.

JL

[michiel01]

Well I have one in my own collection....
And feldpostnumbers starts with 00001 up to 99999
here is a photo of a five digit number on a cannister.


And I have seen canisters with the same number on the outside aswell on the nametag inside in the spare goggle compartment.

[Jean-Loup]

If Feldpost numbers go from 00001 to 99999, then there are only 999 possible numbers with three digits, but 99000 possibilities with 5 digits!
But on the gas masks, the majority only have three digits. You see that there is something illogical.
Also, if it is the FPN, why are the zeros never indicated before the three digist?

The mask I pictured in this thread also has a name inside.

JL

[Ian Jewison]

That definately is not a Feldpost number.

Attached is a scan from page 8b of the Soldbuch. Pages 8a to d recorded the issue of weapons and equipment, including:

Rrifle, pistol, bayonet, compass, binoculars, entrenching tool, spate, pliers, cleaning kit, gasmask, gasmask glasses etc. with additional spaces for other weapons and equipment.

Clearly what can be seen here is the issue of the gasmask, it's type (zeichen) is G and the number is 553. When this was returned/lossed a new one was issued. I can tell you that 3 gasmasks were issued to this person during his time in the Wehrmacht and they were issued by 3 different units.

The number shown would be painted on the gasmask as shown in Jean-Loup's example and explained by Jphilip.

All accountable items of equipment were numbered including rifles, pistols etc.etc. It is the same in modern day Armies!

Regards,
Ian