Haversack, Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light | The Army Surplus Museum

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General Information

Name: Haversack, Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light.
Country of Origin: Australia.
Date of Manufacture: c 1943.
Manufacturer: Yet to be identified.
Colour: Khaki.
Equipment Family: Yet to be identified.
Number Of compartments: Three.
Volume Capacity: 5L.
Weight: 300g.
Dimensions (cm): 22 (H) × 12.5 (W) × 11.5 (D).
Waterproof: Water reppellent, but depends on the condition of the fabric.

History

Towards the end of the Second World War, Australia adopted a new style of gas mask, the Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light. A locally produced version of the British Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light, it differed in having a rough camouflage pattern moulded into the green rubber facepiece.

Designed with tropical climates in mind, this requirement was also reflected in the respirator’s haversack. The Haversack, Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light was a locally produced version of the British design but incorporated several modifications. The canvas fabric was waterproofed, the lid closure was changed to a Lift-The-Dot (LTD) fastener as the original cotton webbing pull-tab could swell when wet, and the shoulder strap attachments were improved through the use of triglide buckles.

The haversack was designed to carry not only the respirator itself, but also three Eyeshields, Anti-Gas, a tin of Ointment, Anti-Gas, detectors, cotton waste, and an anti-dimming kit.

The haversack and respirator remained in service until the adoption of the U.S. M17 gas mask during the mid-1960s.

Description

The shoulder strap is fabricated from 25 mm woven tan cotton webbing and measures approximately 1.3 m in length. Each end is doubled over and sewn down, with a metal open-centre triglide fitted to either end for adjustment and attachment.
The back face is fitted with two brass double hooks (C-hooks), positioned slightly off-centre. This arrangement allows the haversack to hang naturally when attached to the web belt.

Each side of the haversack is fitted with an angled 25 mm webbing attachment strap sewn to the upper side panels. The end of each strap is fitted with a brass triglide buckle through which the shoulder strap passes. Below the triglide strap is a square patch pocket with a pointed lid that closes with a brass snap dome.

The internal back wall incorporates a full-length, flat, open-top sleeve pocket designed to hold the Eyeshield, Anti-Gas packet. Sewn to the base of the haversack is a short white webbing retaining strap, the upper end of which secures to the sleeve pocket by means of a brass snap dome.

Positioned against the left side of the haversack’s base is a small khaki-tan cotton cloth bellows pocket fitted with a pointed lid that closes with a brass snap dome. This pocket holds the anti-dimming kit.