Nikita Katzen Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 Hello all! I have recently been wondering how and what German Tornister rucksacks were packed with in 1918? As they seem to be missing the greatcoat, zeltbahn, and the mess tin, but they still seem to be quite full. If anyone can help, that'd be greatly appreicated! Cheers, Nikita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) From Handbook of The German Army in War - April 1918 - General Staff - IWM 1 pair "slacks" 1 forage cap 2 shirts 1 pair socks 2 handkerchiefs 1 rice bag 1 housewife 1 pair drawers 1pair lace shoes 1 set boot brushes 1 grease tin 1 copper tin 1 salt tin Although I should think that they put in the tornister whatever they considered necessary for the task that they were about to undertake or be involved in. Edited 19 September , 2021 by squirrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 (edited) Great question and answer. Tornisters are one of the more affordable kit to collect from both wars. I was tempted to purchase a ww2 example but never followed up. I too wondered what was carried in them. Why were they called "apes" and were they covered in real pony fur? Dave Edited 19 September , 2021 by depaor01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle of loos Posted 19 September , 2021 Share Posted 19 September , 2021 Good evening, these men are certainly "Sturmtruppen". assault group with a "minenwerfer" in support : regards michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikita Katzen Posted 20 September , 2021 Author Share Posted 20 September , 2021 9 hours ago, squirrel said: From Handbook of The German Army in War - April 1918 - General Staff - IWM 1 pair "slacks" 1 forage cap 2 shirts 1 pair socks 2 handkerchiefs 1 rice bag 1 housewife 1 pair drawers 1pair lace shoes 1 set boot brushes 1 grease tin 1 copper tin 1 salt tin Although I should think that they put in the tornister whatever they considered necessary for the task that they were about to undertake or be involved in. Thank you very much for this! Cheers, Nikita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 20 September , 2021 Share Posted 20 September , 2021 On 19/09/2021 at 14:22, squirrel said: From Handbook of The German Army in War - April 1918 - General Staff - IWM 1 grease tin 1 copper tin 1 salt tin 1 x copper tin??? I cannot even guess as to the contents or purpose. Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 20 September , 2021 Share Posted 20 September , 2021 That's what it says in the book but I suspect it might be "coffee tin". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 21 September , 2021 Share Posted 21 September , 2021 A shilling to a pfennig that you are correct! Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 21 September , 2021 Share Posted 21 September , 2021 21 hours ago, JMB1943 said: 1 x copper tin??? I cannot even guess as to the contents or purpose. Regards, JMB I've just checked my copy and yes it says Copper Tin. Might it be a simple personal field stove? The German word for coffee is hardly likely to be mistranslated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 22 September , 2021 Share Posted 22 September , 2021 Hmmm,.........Kupfer or Kaffee? You would think that those two words would be readily distinguishable. Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 22 September , 2021 Share Posted 22 September , 2021 On 19/09/2021 at 20:22, squirrel said: 1 housewife ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 23 September , 2021 Share Posted 23 September , 2021 (edited) 40 minutes ago, JWK said: ? Housewife/Sewing kit. Edited 23 September , 2021 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 23 September , 2021 Share Posted 23 September , 2021 (edited) During WW1 there were different types of "back-bags" in use in the German army: Tornister, Ersatztornister (aka Rucksacktornister) and Rucksäcke. Tornister M 1895, M1907 and M1907/13 were all made of fur, however during the war the Kalbslederfelle could be substituted by Kaninchen (rabbit), Rehkitz (fawn) or Hund (dog). As a trialversion there were also a limited number of those with sealfur. The other parts/inside-frame of the Tornister were made of wood. Later the parts except the cover and inside-frame were made of canvas or paper, some parts of artificial leather. There were numerous changes during the wr which cannot all b listed here. I refer to Kraus, Feldgraue Uniformierung.... vol. 1. Ersatztornister were made of canvas (inside sometimes tinframe), so were Rucksäcke that were distributed to many troops except infantry. Apart from that there were special Tornister and Rucksäcke for specialized branches of the army like Pioniere or Gebirgstruppen, freiw. Kriegkrankenhilfe. With regard to contents: There were (among other things) two tin cans of coffee, hymn-book, saltbag, pulswarmer, veggie-can, meat-can, shoes, shoe-brush, tent parts, etc. etc. GreyC 1) Canvas Ersatztornister 2) Fur Tornister Edited 23 September , 2021 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 23 September , 2021 Share Posted 23 September , 2021 Grey, Thanks for posting that; it looks like "coffee" takes it over "copper". My O level German had not included the word "tornister", so I wondered if the word was derived from a Herr Tornist (possible designer). An on-line search for "tornist" revealed only the Estonian word related to a "cliff". Searching "tornister" gave the German backpack, and this site, https://www.ir63.org/packtornister.html which not only listed the contents, as did you, to include 2 x tin of coffee, but also showed how to pack it. So, I think that "kaffee" clearly has it over "kupfer". Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 23 September , 2021 Share Posted 23 September , 2021 Thank you JMB, I´d root for coffee, too. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 24 September , 2021 Share Posted 24 September , 2021 (edited) Intriguing to know what a "pulswarmer" might be...a sort of small stove for cooking perhaps. Presumably veggie-can, meat-can, mess tins or tins of rations? Edited 24 September , 2021 by squirrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 24 September , 2021 Share Posted 24 September , 2021 (edited) 10 minutes ago, squirrel said: pulswarmer" Wristlet. GreyC PS: veggie-can, meat-can, mess tins or tins of rations? Yes. Edited 24 September , 2021 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 24 September , 2021 Share Posted 24 September , 2021 There is also a photo taken around Pilckem in 1917, if I find it, showing a dead German near a trench, with a tornister but without zeltbahn and greatcoat, only the tornister. Probably used as an assault backpack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knittinganddeath Posted 24 September , 2021 Share Posted 24 September , 2021 4 hours ago, squirrel said: "pulswarmer" As GreyC said, wristwarmers. Like these: Source: http://resolver.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/SBB000056FC00000000 They're much easier to make than gloves or fingerless gloves and allow for more mobility/dexterity than mittens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 24 September , 2021 Share Posted 24 September , 2021 Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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