Identification of a gasmask !

[Patrick]

Good Evening

Identification of a gasmask !

A friend recently gave me a gasmask , which he had laying around the house for a long time

And which he ornated with a cigarette in the month . He claims it is a WW1 gasmask

But I doubt this , as I have never seen any of that kind , its made out of rubber and must have been impractical to fold or carry by a soldier .

On the forehead of the mask is written Ohio Rubber Company ..Patent Applied for.

See pictures… so its American made …maybe navy then .

Does anyone know more about this type of Gasmask and is it wwi?

Thanks

Patrick

To see more pictures of the Mask click the hotlink

Gasmask

[Terry_Reeves]

Patrick

It is not a WW1 mask for sure. The US initially used French masks but later changed to the British Small Box Respirator. The only all rubber device that I am aware of in WW1 was the Russian Koumant-Zelinski mask, a weird looking device issued from about 1916 onwards, and very uncomfortable to wear.

Terry Reeves

[CROONAERT]

I've seen similar before and believe it to be a civilian mining (mine rescue?)mask dating from the 1920s.There were many differing patterns,especially in the U.S. some had filters to filter noxious fumes whereas others were connected to oxygen tanks.

One thing is certain,however, it isn't military of WW1 vintage.

Dave.

[Greenwoodman]

I know nothing about the topic, but it occurs to me that if it is a mining mask from the 20s it could have been used in clearing underground bunkers and tunnels, or to open up the coal mines closed by the war? So perhaps a remote Great War connection.

[CROONAERT]

The US initially used French masks but later changed to the British Small Box Respirator.

The U.S. also developed their own version of the 1917 small box respirator,known as the "C.E.M." (Corrected English Model). It was very similar to the British version,differing only in the eyepieces and shape of the hose attachment.The exhaust valve was also of better (more protected) design. The C.E.M. went through three modifications in 1918.The haversack also had (slight) differences,the major one being "lift the dot" fastenings instead of pressstuds.