Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a lovely group of original field equipment of the type carried by a French infantryman during WWI. The set consists of a wartime Model 1893/14 havresac pack with its leather straps, a Gamelle Individuelle Modèle 1852 mess kit, and a tinned metal drinking cup.

The French Model 1893 havresac was nicknamed the As de Carreau (Ace of Diamonds) because of its rigid rectangular form. The pack served as the central component of the French infantryman’s field equipment, carrying personal belongings, rations, spare clothing, and other necessities. Additional equipment, including the mess kit and blanket roll, could be secured to its exterior.

This wartime Model 1893/14 variation is constructed from unpainted beige green canvas fitted around a rigid wooden frame. The front flap retains several depot markings, although they have become quite faint with age and use. The canvas displays staining, discoloration, and general wear consistent with prolonged field service, but these signs of use do not detract from its excellent overall appearance.

The leather shoulder straps, securing straps, and metal buckles appear to remain present. The leather is dry, cracked, and delicate from age, although the fittings remain assembled and appear functional. As with all leather equipment of this age, the straps should be handled carefully and should not be subjected to unnecessary tension.

Stored inside the pack is an original French Gamelle Individuelle Modèle 1852. This round individual mess container is manufactured from tinned steel and retains its lid and original connecting chain. The chain prevented the lid from becoming separated from the main container, although soldiers sometimes removed these chains to eliminate noise while in the field. The mess kit was designed primarily to receive, carry, and serve prepared food rather than for direct cooking over a fire. onnepassepas.fr

Also included is an original tinned metal drinking cup of the type carried with a French military canteen. Together, the pack, mess kit, and cup represent several of the most recognizable pieces of equipment associated with the French poilu of WWI.

France entered WWI as one of the principal Allied powers. French soldiers endured more than four years of fighting, much of it along the trench systems of the Western Front. Equipment such as the rigid Model 1893/14 havresac remained a familiar part of the French infantryman’s appearance throughout the conflict.

This is an especially appealing field equipment set retaining the havresac’s wooden frame, canvas body, leather suspension system, and faint depot markings, together with an original Model 1852 mess kit and drinking cup. The field wear, stained canvas, and aged leather give the group an honest appearance representative of equipment carried during the First World War.