Original Item: Only One Available. The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf AH. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAPsm and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe.

This is a fantastic example of a German WWII SS Issue M31 aluminum canteen water bottle rig, marked on the neck of the canteen with (ᛋᛋ) 39 / 36 (RZM). The SS kept their own contracts through the RZM, and unfortunately the contractor information is not currently available. This marking most likely means it was a contract given to maker 39 in 1936, and filled later. 

It has the correct bakelite screw top cap with an intact sealing washer and a genuine SS black wool felt cover with working snaps. This is held in a standard black leather belt harness, which has a painted steel belt hook on the back, for attaching to the combat rigging.

The canteen, cap, and cover are in very good condition, with just a bit of rusting on the snaps. The leather harness unfortunately has stretched out a bit and the leather is now dry, with some cracking and finish issues. There is no cup with this set, so the harness strap is wrapped around the neck of the canteen.

A very rare WWII SS Issue M31 Canteen with Cover & Strap, ready to add to your collection!

The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf AH, (Shock Troops Adolf AH), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. On January 6TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm Troopers) on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by AH by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party).

The SS developed the distinctive SS style cap skull and cross bones on October 6TH 1934 and introduced the SS pattern national cap eagle in February 1936. After their introductions the skull and eagle were to be worn on all forms of SS headgear. In 1944 the SS developed a single piece of cap insignia which incorporated both the skull and eagle on a one piece trapezoid base for wear on the M43 field cap. Originally these trapezoidal pieces of insignia were produced in a machine woven version until a final, embroidered version was introduced in late 1944. The first versions of the trapezoidal cap insignia featured dual rows of teeth in the skull while later versions only had a single row of teeth. Panzer personnel’s cap trapezoids were produced with a black base to match the color of the cap it was to be worn on.