Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII M31 Feldflasche field canteen retaining a particularly nice group of matching early components. The aluminum canteen body, screw cap, and brown felt cover are all marked MKK 38, indicating 1938 production by Marsteller & Killmann of Kettwig an der Ruhr. The felt cover retains all four press-stud closures as well as its original leather carrying harness. Period examples are documented with matching MKK markings on the bottle and closure.

The drinking cup is a later wartime replacement marked:

ESB 43

ESB identifies Eduard Sommerfeld of Berlin, with the “43” indicating 1943 manufacture.

Most notably, the cup exhibits two substantial irregular punctures through the metal. One opening is roughly rounded, while the second is larger and more elongated, with pronounced deformation around its edges. The two openings may conceivably represent the entry and exit of a single penetrating object; however, without provenance there is no reliable way to determine whether the damage resulted from a projectile, shrapnel, or some later impact. We therefore describe them simply as two punctures of unknown origin.

The canteen is in well-used original condition with attractive age and field wear. The brown felt cover shows scattered mothing, thinning, staining, and surface wear, but remains substantially intact and retains all four closure buttons. The leather harness remains complete with expected dryness, scuffing, creasing, and age wear.

The MKK 38 bottle and cap display oxidation and normal period wear. The ESB 43 cup shows considerable finish loss and oxidation along with the two jagged punctures and associated metal deformation. Please consult the photographs carefully for the exact condition.

The M31 Feldflasche was introduced as part of the standardized field equipment adopted by the German military in the early 1930s and remained in widespread use throughout WWII. It was normally carried attached to the bread bag or other field equipment, with the felt cover helping insulate the bottle and protect it from knocks during movement. The leather harness secured the bottle, cover, and drinking cup together as a compact unit.

Production changed considerably as the war progressed. Earlier canteens generally made greater use of aluminum and higher-quality leather fittings, while later production increasingly incorporated steel, simplified hardware, and substitute materials as raw materials became more difficult to obtain. Cups and other components were also replaceable, so mixed-date assemblies are not unusual on equipment that remained in service for several years.

As one of the most commonly issued personal pieces of field equipment, the Feldflasche accompanied soldiers on marches, in training, and under combat conditions, making surviving examples useful for illustrating both the practical design of German field gear and the material changes brought about by wartime production demands.