Medical rucksack (not backpack!!)

[Jan B]

Hello guys

Girlfriend is off to work and I'm sitting here with to much time on my hands.

I thought of starting a thread about the less known medical rucksack. Everyone is quiet familiar with the so-called Sanitätstornister (backpack), but the rucksack-version seems to be very difficult to find these days. These were part of the different "satz" (large collections of medical material that was delivered to single Sanitätsabteilungen or Kompanieen, Feld-and Kriegslazaretten,etc...)

I've also heared once that they were intended to replace the backpacks from 1943, but based on wartime regulations, they were often delivered together with backpacks in those sätze. And most of us know that sanitätstornisters were still produced till the end of the war too.

As I have encountered only one for sale in the last six years and not much wartime evidence of these in use exists, it is in my believe that they were not really popular and often used for other things (especially after the war too no doubts).

I have no idea either of what the contents should be. Does anyone know if there is a sort of 'Packordnung or vorschrift' for this type of rucksack?

I have one in my collection, of which I'm 99,9 % sure that it once was such a sanitätsrucksack.
First of all, the maker (although hard to read on the picture) is "Bollmann" out of Tuttlingen. This was a rather large manufacturer of medical kit, and as far as I know, Bollmann & Co only made medical pouches, backpacks, et.... It's a 1943 dated example and has a WaAmbt 812.
Secondly, the material of which it is oftenmade out of. This material is considered to be "later-war" ersatz webbing material with red and blue lines on it.

My example is missing the red cross patch on the cover flap, Although traces of a former cross that was stitched on it are visible.


Please, if anyone has such an example in his collection or has wartime pictures, post them in this thread!

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Jan


So far I know of only b/m ones :

3 visible on wartime pictures
1 that was offered for sale once
1 in my collection
1 in the Diekirch museum


Let me first show you 2 wartime pictures of these in use.

[Jan B]

2

[Jan B]

1 in the Diekirch museum


Here is the one on display in the Diekirch museum in Luxemburg. I wasn't allow to inspect it on possible maker ID

[Jan B]

2 close-up. This example is made out of the same material as mine!

[Jan B]

1 in my collection


The one in my collection, of which I'm 99,9 % sure off that it once was such a sanit******228;tsrucksack. First of all, the maker (although hard to read on the picture) is "Bollmann" out of Tuttlingen. As some of you know, this was a rather large manufacturer of medical kit, and as far as I know, Bollmann & Co only made medical related items.

It's a 1943 dated example and has a WaAmbt 8(B?)12. Also the material of which it is made out of. This material is considered to be "later-war" ersatz webbing material with red and bleu lines on it. I honestly don't know of any other official combat-rucksacks that were made out of this white webbing material.
My example is missing the red cross patch on the cover flap, Although you can clearly see were it was stitched.

[Jan B]

2

[Jan B]

3

[Jan B]

4. Markings

[Jan B]

The one that was offered for sale once


Here are some pictures of the one that was offered for sale online some time back. I missed that one . It's also a Bollmann production dated 1943, although made out of much better quality material and in mint condition!

[Jan B]

2

[Jan B]

3

[Jan B]

4

[Luft 76]

Very intersting thread and items, but never seen ! sorry !

[Michael Kuligowski]

Jan !!!

very interesting !! I think this pack is medical for sure - only special designation items had a waffenamts - like medical packs.

PS note the BW breadbag on this manequin in museum....

[Jan B]

Thanks guys

Mike, indeed...I also believe mine is medical, despite the missing rc.


Cmon guys, there must be some more information available on these, please search your photo-collections, it would be nice to see wartime pictures of these in use!

Cheers
Jan