Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    ID Face masks?


    Recommended Posts

     

    Can anyone identify these 2 visors or suggest a better category?  I have no idea what country they are from!  Thanks

     

    First one...

    thumb_DSC07631_1024.jpg

    thumb_DSC07633_1024.jpg

    Second one...

     

    thumb_DSC07642_1024.jpg

    thumb_DSC07641_1024.jpg

    thumb_DSC07643_1024.jpg

    thumb_DSC07637_1024.jpg

    thumb_DSC07634_1024.jpg

    Edited by Luftmensch
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Sadly, 'WWI tanker masks' are now a regular item on eBay and a very high percentage of them are modern fakes.  While the first one looks a little like those issued to British and French armoured troops, the padding would be completely inadequate in use. 

    The one with the 'cross slits' has a screw on the face, which would become an extra piece of shrapnel on the inside of the mask if struck by a bullet or fragment.  It also has what look like elastic straps, which would be very unlikely, IMO, on a military issue piece.  Again, the padding looks too thin to be very useful.

    I don't think these are military, but somebody's private experiments in face protection.  Blacksmith?  Welder? 'Inventor' ???

    Peter

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Peter, the first are anti splinter googles used by USAAF bomber crews . specifically gunners . gunners wear also M1 helmets and protective vest . regarding the second mask i see that thing on a photo of USA soldiers in WW1 . 

    The USAAF googles were called Anti Flak googles

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Peter, I have been following this thread and was also looking in my WWI material for photos of these "masks" to no avail. On the other hand if I had been a betting man I would have made a small (very small) wager that these were fairly modern remakes or even fantasy items. After reading Bayern's reply I'm happy I didn't waste my money, once again proving, "Wagering bad, collecting good" is the best motto.I also wish this was the first time I was wrong. A few years ago I passed by a really nice supposed British sword at a show thinking there was never such a thing only to find out recently that it was a very rare experimental Pattern. It is so hard knowing everything while I lack so much knowledge. ?

    Regards

    Brian

      

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    3 hours ago, Brian Wolfe said:

    Peter, I have been following this thread and was also looking in my WWI material for photos of these "masks" to no avail. On the other hand if I had been a betting man I would have made a small (very small) wager that these were fairly modern remakes or even fantasy items. After reading Bayern's reply I'm happy I didn't waste my money, once again proving, "Wagering bad, collecting good" is the best motto.I also wish this was the first time I was wrong. A few years ago I passed by a really nice supposed British sword at a show thinking there was never such a thing only to find out recently that it was a very rare experimental Pattern. It is so hard knowing everything while I lack so much knowledge. ?

    Regards

    Brian

      

    I completely agree that when something doesn't look or feel right it's better to pass it on.... unless you believe that the price is so good and/or the item is so good that you can live with finding out it is a copy/reproduction or even a flat out fake. Now granted I do not spend large amounts on collecting as I have two businesses to run and simply can't rationalize large spendings on frivolous" things ;) and so I spend smaller amounts (few hundred here or there) on items that I feel are real or at least worth the money. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Luftmensch . They are a number  of pics in the web .you must enter : Body armour of WW1 or Brewster Body armour , or German Body armour ww1 . I remember a pic under the caption of German body armour of ww1 ,that shows a man with a sort of lamellar armor ,a round capacet or cabacet and the goggles with the cross like eye slots

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    As Brian stated... the first one appears to be a usaaf splinter goggles or WWII USAF AAF AIR FORCE flak goggles

    see here: https://stewartsmilitaryantiques.com/us-wwii-usaaf-flak-splinter-goggles.44097.archive.htm

     

    The second one appear to be British splinter goggles.

    see here: https://www.ww2civildefence.co.uk/goggles.html

    181214-F-IO108-022.jpg

    steel-goggles_1_orig.jpg

    On 13/05/2020 at 08:01, Luftmensch said:

    Thanks for the comments, folks.  Bayern, in that WW1 photo of the second mask being worn by American soldiers, what kind of unit were they?

    WWII USAF bomber crew

    Edited by OvBacon
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Oh, well done.  I did, as I say, once own and read the one on the USAAF's body armour for WWII bomber crews, but so long ago I'd forgotten what they looked like.  But , the British  'splinter googles' are completely new.  I wonder how common they were. 

    And, from the photo, what I saw as a design flaw - the protruding screw head - was actually a 'feature', allowing the eye shields to be opened and closed.  Very very interesting.  I wonder if there are photos of them in use too?

    Peter

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.