PH hood bag

[blackadder1917]

Good evening all

I'm curious about your opinions on this PH hood bag. Original or aged reproduction. No markings inside. Please click on the pictures for the right resolution.

Kind regards and thanks in advance!

 

Edited 14 August , 2022 by blackadder1917

[Pete_C]

Looks 100% original to me, and a great example, congratulations. The dimensions, fabric, stitching patterns and buttons are exactly as they should be. The fact that it’s unmarked is not at all unusual. The commercially available re-enactor satchels can be easily distinguished as copies, even when aged. It looks like the buttons are missing from the strap - horn, pressed brass or zinc plated steel are all acceptable replacements. Your example has horn (or early plastic) buttons on the closure flap which were preferred as they were easier to undo in a hurry than metal buttons. 
 

Pete

[blackadder1917]

Thanks Pete!

 

[new3.2]

PH- meaning?

new3.2

[Fromelles]

From Wikipedia: 

The PH Helmet (Phenate Hexamine) replaced the P Helmet (Phenate) [aka Tube Helmet] in October 1915, and added hexamethylene tetramine, which greatly improved protection against phosgene and added protection against hydrocyanic acid. Around 14 million were made and it remained in service until the end of the war by which time it was relegated to second line use.

Dan

[Chasemuseum]

With all due respect to wikipedia, I believe that the PH was taken out of service during 1918, before the armistice, production having ceased in February 1918. I consider that this is part of the reason for the poor survival rate of specimens.

[Pete_C]

10 hours ago, Chasemuseum said:

With all due respect to wikipedia, I believe that the PH was taken out of service during 1918, before the armistice, production having ceased in February 1918. I consider that this is part of the reason for the poor survival rate of specimens.

The Wikipedia article does refer to ‘second line use’ which is correct in that they were routinely carried by stretcher bearers long after SBR’s became standard issue, as protection for wounded soldiers who would likely have discarded all their equipment.

Pete

IWM Q3180

 

[14276265]

37 minutes ago, Pete_C said:

The Wikipedia article does refer to ‘second line use’ which is correct in that they were routinely carried by stretcher bearers long after SBR’s became standard issue, as protection for wounded soldiers who would likely have discarded all their equipment.

 

 

 

Quite so, FA and CCS remained equipped with small quantities of PH helmets, and rear echelon labour units also - attached correspondence from C-in-C France to War Office might be of interest. The lack of surviving examples is most likely down to the salvaging of the chemicals used to impregnate the cloth, with helmets collected and sent to base depots for processing, as noted in further discussion minutes.

 

 

265

[Pete_C]

48 minutes ago, 14276265 said:

Quite so, FA and CCS remained equipped with small quantities of PH helmets, and rear echelon labour units also - attached correspondence from C-in-C France to War Office might be of interest. The lack of surviving examples is most likely down to the salvaging of the chemicals used to impregnate the cloth, with helmets collected and sent to base depots for processing, as noted in further discussion minutes.

 

 

265

What a remarkably informative document, and absolutely first rate primary research. 

Many thanks for taking the trouble to share it.

Pete

[Chasemuseum]

Excellent reference.

[new3.2]

Thank you Pete C, Fromelles, Chasemuseum, & 14276265.  I got much more information than I anticipated, which is always a good thing.  So another Brit abbreviation for my notebook.

new3.2