BACKGROUND: With the development of poisonous gasses used as offensive weapons in WWI appropriate defensive gasmasks also had to be developed. The German WWI M1915 and M1917 gasmasks evolved into the Reichswehr era M24 gasmask and eventually into the M30 and M38 gasmasks used in WWII. Both the WWII M30 and the M38 gasmasks were issued in a cylindrical, corrugated, sheet metal canister that came equipped with a chamois cleaning cloth and a wire cleaning cloth retaining spring.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A section of white chamois cleaning cloth. The cleaning cloth comes with a magnetic, open ended, formed wire retaining spring. The retaining spring is in the form of a four armed cross with crimped circular eyelets to the open ends. Also included are a set of spare lenses. Perfect for completing a gas mask display.