{"product_id":"original-french-wwi-rare-m2-gas-mask-with-original-straps-carry-bag-spare-lens","title":"Original French WWI Rare M2 Gas Mask with Original Straps, Carry Bag \u0026 Spare Lens","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptionally scarce and evocative original \u003cstrong\u003eFrench WWI M2 gas mask with its correct carry bag, original straps, and spare lens\u003c\/strong\u003e, the type used by French, British, and American forces during the height of chemical warfare on the Western Front. Complete M2 assemblies are difficult to encounter today because the impregnated fabric, elastic components, lenses, and carrying bags were all highly susceptible to deterioration. This example shows extensive field wear and age but remains remarkably complete, retaining both lenses, the rare neck strap, head strap arrangement, original carrying bag with shoulder strap and closure button, and even a spare lens still stored in its pouch. For a collector of trench warfare or chemical warfare equipment, it is a particularly strong display piece because so much of the original system remains together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe M2 gas mask was introduced in 1916 as part of France’s rapidly evolving response to poison gas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChemical warfare had become one of the defining horrors of WWI after the large scale use of chlorine and other agents on the Western Front. Early protective measures were crude, but the French quickly developed more practical anti-gas equipment, leading to the M2.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design was based on work proposed in 1915 by:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRené Louis Gravereaux of Paris\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn initial order of approximately 600,000 masks was placed in early 1916, and the type was introduced into service soon afterward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe M2 was ultimately manufactured in enormous quantities, with approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e29,300,000 examples\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eproduced during the war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite that huge wartime production, complete surviving examples are now surprisingly scarce because of the fragile materials used in their construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mask was designed to protect the wearer against chemical agents including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ephosgene\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eone of the most lethal battlefield gases of WWI.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe M2 did not use a separate detachable filter canister like later gas masks. Instead, the mask itself was made from chemically treated fabric that covered the entire face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis impregnated material absorbed or neutralized toxic gases as the wearer breathed through it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design was intended to provide several hours of protection, though actual effectiveness depended on gas concentration, moisture, fit, and the condition of the mask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mask on this example retains both original eye lenses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost unusually, the lenses are now:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eheavily caked in tar-like material\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a very uncommon condition to encounter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exact cause of the buildup is not known, but it may reflect long term contamination, storage conditions, or deterioration of the surrounding impregnated material. We have intentionally left the lenses untouched rather than attempting to clean them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rare original:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eneck strap\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eis still present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an important feature because many surviving M2 masks are missing their straps entirely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe canvas body of the mask has become quite stiff with age and is delicate, although it does not feel excessively brittle compared with many M2 examples we have handled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCare should nevertheless be taken when handling or repositioning it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe M2 evolved quickly during 1916.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe earliest model used a single rectangular viewing panel. This design proved awkward because the lens arrangement could be difficult to clean and was vulnerable to damage when the mask was folded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn improved pattern introduced in April 1916 replaced the single rectangular window with:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003etwo round eyepieces\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach lens was secured by a metal ring with multiple indentations around its edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis improved arrangement made the mask easier to fold for storage and reduced the risk of damaging the viewing system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe example offered here is of this later two-lens form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mask also retains its original strap arrangement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring 1917, an additional strap system was introduced to improve retention on the wearer’s head. The surviving straps on this example add considerably to its completeness and rarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mask is accompanied by its original:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ecarry bag\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bag is heavily stiffened and shows substantial wear from age and service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite this, it remains substantially complete and retains both the:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eclosure button\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eshoulder strap\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese components are often missing on surviving examples.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInside the bag is a:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003espare lens\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eretained in its pouch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe were unable to access the lens without risking damage to the stiffened material, so it has been left undisturbed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe presence of the spare lens is a particularly interesting field detail and further reinforces the completeness of the set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe M2 was not exclusively French.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritish forces also used the pattern in very large numbers during 1916 and continued to employ it alongside other respirators.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the United States entered the war in 1917, the U.S. Army was not yet fully prepared for large scale chemical warfare and relied heavily on Allied protective equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmerican troops were therefore issued both British Small Box Respirators and French M2 masks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Small Box Respirator offered more advanced protection, but the M2 still had practical value, particularly for extended wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe existence of two different systems did create complications.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInexperienced troops sometimes attempted to change from one mask to another while still inside contaminated areas, exposing themselves briefly to poison gas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis could result in casualties even when both protective devices were otherwise functioning correctly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuch episodes underline how important training, discipline, and familiarity with anti-gas equipment became on the Western Front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe M2’s all-fabric construction also had limitations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause the mask enclosed the entire face without the more advanced airflow and filtration systems used later in the war, condensation could build up inside and obscure vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter prolonged wear, breathing could become uncomfortable and the mask could become increasingly difficult to use effectively.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven with these limitations, the M2 represented a major improvement over the improvised anti-gas measures of 1915 and became one of the most widely distributed protective masks of the war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example is especially appealing because it survives as a nearly complete assembly rather than as an isolated mask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003etwo original lenses\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003erare neck strap\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eoriginal head straps\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eoriginal carry bag\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eshoulder strap\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eclosure button\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003espare lens\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emakes it far more desirable than the incomplete M2 masks more commonly encountered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe condition is heavily service worn and delicate, with stiffened canvas, tar-covered lenses, and a heavily aged carry bag, but those issues are fully consistent with the fragile materials and long service life of original WWI gas equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the collector, this is a particularly strong piece of Great War chemical warfare history. The M2 was worn by soldiers facing one of the most feared threats of trench warfare, and complete surviving sets have become genuinely difficult to find. With its mask, straps, original bag, and spare lens still together, this would make an excellent addition to a French WWI, British Expeditionary Force, American Expeditionary Forces, chemical warfare, trench equipment, or advanced gas mask collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44846979186757,"sku":"ONJR26MAA078","price":895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR26MAA078.jpg?v=1775252344","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-french-wwi-rare-m2-gas-mask-with-original-straps-carry-bag-spare-lens","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}