Gas Masks - Advice sought!

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

One of my neighbours has just 'dumped' on me 4 gas masks - 3 are from WW2 and the other is a WW1 British box respirator. Great you think but please read on! Unfortunately the 'box' is heavily corroded and will probably disintegrate if any pressure is applied to it or it is dropped. The mask is however in pretty good condition - the rubber has not corroded, the nose piece is still in position and the tube looks functional.

My questions are,

1. Should I remove the filter or get someone with the know to do it? (I remember being told in my army days that some of the filters contained asbestos??)

2. Is there anyone who has some spares that can be purchased for a reasonable sum?

3. Can someone please post a photogrpah of the inside of the mask for me?

Many thanks - Ian

[N.S.Regt.]

Ian

My 1917 SBR has charcoal in it. There may be asbestos at the valve at the bottom but I do not know for sure the material. My filter has a small hole about half way up thich the charcoal grains were coming out. If the filter is intact I would leave it be and just treat it with care. British filters seem in most cases to be rusted and are hard to find in one peice. Enjoy your new find I wish I had neighbours like yours.

Best regards

N.S.Regt.

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Thanks for that.

He is a good guy but I think there was an element of him getting rid of something that the dustman wouldn't take!

Ian

[bkristof]

You will not find good WW1 filters seperated.

You can change it with a early WW2 filter if it is too bad. But then you have to be sure that the hose isn't to britle..

My advice: leave it like it is.

Can you post some pics?

many thanks,

kristof

[Somme1916]

Ian,

My advice is to get ride of the WW1 filter. Here's why:

Several years ago a friend of mine who makes reproduction uniforms for reenactors, movies, theater companies etc and who also collects militaria rented out a full U.S. WW1 uniform with kit, including gas mask, for a fancy dress/costume party. During the party the renter had a few drinks and decided to put on the gas mask. Unfortunately for him the filter still had some mustard gas locked up inside of it which, due to the filter's deterioration, caused some minor chemical burns to his lips and nasal passages. Luckily he wasn't hurt very badly and my friend won the lawsuit, which the man brought against him. The judge's advice/order to my friend was to have the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) come collect all his gas mask filters due to safety reasons.

Side note, if the gas mask is U.S. and has a yellow box then that is a training filter and would not have been exposed to dangerous chemicals during the war, so it's safe. If it's British I don't know what marks a training filter would have so I'd play it safe, unless someone can tell the difference between war & training filters and get a reproduction filter or yellow U.S. one to replace yours.

Good luck and your lucky to receive such a gift,

Jon

[Grovetown]

Ian

As suggested - other than by Jon - leave the filter on, unless its weight will compromise the hose. Face pieces alone have good commercial value, and with the hose, more so.

The inner surfaces of the face pieces are rubberised: usually found to be very 'dehydrated' and flakey. There is nothing that can be done - according to the head of conservation at the NAM - to stabilise them. A suggested storage technique is to pack the face piece with a smallish - 6 to 8" - ball or balloon wrapped in acid-free paper to avoid cracking creases; and lay the whole caboodle on its side. As Kristof suggests, the hose can be particularly vulnerable (it'll probably feel 'solid') and can snap without warning if clumsily handled.

Replacement filters are impossible to obtain unless you encounter a trashed mask with good filter and cannabalise the two into one. Ethically moot. That said, I did once happen across an excellent 1926 mask for 10 quid; and suppressed my conscience long enough to take the filter off and mate it with a good SBR mask and hose.

To be completist, you should want to put a satchel with it - typically (but not universally) marked Waring & Gillow (aka the furniture people) 1917. I reckon a good satchel at between £80 and £120 at the moment.

Regards,

Grovetown.

[CROONAERT]

Side note, if the gas mask is U.S. and has a yellow box then that is a training filter

Jon.

The black filter was the training filter (not originally intended as so - it was the filter of the "ABR" respirator which was crap and never reached a war zone (hence it being used as a training filter) before being replaced by the "CEM" respirator which originally had a yellow filter (and experienced war gases), then an improved green filter) not the yellow. The yellow filter was actually the most common one used by US troops in the war zone. (My yellow filtered CEM experienced "6 hours cloud gas" in October 1918 !!!)

Ian, if your filter is any of the above colours, then it was a (British) SBR issued to US troops. British filters were red.

Dave.

(PS. I've mentioned it before, and I'll mention it again (sorry for being such a nark!) Never breath through any filter older than 60 years old!!! Even the black filter had asbestos sheets separating the layers which detiorates and breaks down over the years!)

[bkristof]

I have about 400 gasmasks, and i only trust the ones who are brand new.

I never had any accidents. But i am carefull.

I even wash al my old masks BEFORE i display them. I even wash them with my gloves on.

[Somme1916]

Side note, if the gas mask is U.S. and has a yellow box then that is a training filter

Jon.

The black filter was the training filter (not originally intended as so - it was the filter of the "ABR" respirator which was crap and never reached a war zone (hence it being used as a training filter) before being replaced by the "CEM" respirator which originally had a yellow filter (and experienced war gases), then an improved green filter) not the yellow. The yellow filter was actually the most common one used by US troops in the war zone. (My yellow filtered CEM experienced "6 hours cloud gas" in October 1918 !!!)

Ian, if your filter is any of the above colours, then it was a (British) SBR issued to US troops. British filters were red.

Dave.

(PS. I've mentioned it before, and I'll mention it again (sorry for being such a nark!) Never breath through any filter older than 60 years old!!! Even the black filter had asbestos sheets separating the layers which detiorates and breaks down over the years!)

I stand corrected. Please excuse my mistake and thanks Dave, it's always nice to learn something knew even if it comes with a small slice of humble pie

All the best,

Jon

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

You will not find good WW1 filters seperated.

You can change it with a early WW2 filter if it is too bad. But then you have to be sure that the hose isn't to britle..

My advice: leave it like it is.

Can you post some pics?

many thanks,

kristof

Sorry I don't have a digital camera!

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Thanks to everyone for their advice. Things took a sad turn for the worse yesterday, when I was examining the filter to try and detect the original colour, it literally fell apart in my hands! I was wearing gloves (good advice bkristof - thanks!). I must admit I had no intention of wearing it but note that it might have some nasty residue that needs to be removed. I suspect the cleaning uop and renovation will be a mini project for me in the Autumn.

Ian