Last week we looked at the civilian duty respirator, and tonight we follow this up with the haversack. This was a very simple design, ideal for cheap mass production for civilian services who did not need the same sophistication as the military’s haversacks for the general service respirators. The haversack in this case was a simple heavy duty cotton bag, made of a very coarse grade of fabric:
A woven cotton tape carrying strap was seen to the bag. This was bundles up and stitched into sections that could be unpicked one by one to lengthen the strap, allowing a cheap way of the haversack strap being adjustable without the need for brass slider buckles:
The neck of this haversack closes with a drawstring:
A loop of woven cotton tape is sewn inside the haversack in one corner:
With this pulled out, it is possible to fit the anti-dimming kit into the loop:
Which then sits safely in the bottom corner of the haversack when it is turned back the correct way round:
Whilst this haversack is clearly far superior to the cardboard boxes issued to civilians, it remains a cheap and simple haversack that allows mass production and widespread issue without costing the local authorities large amounts of money.
In this 1941 photograph, this pattern of haversack is clearly visible being worn by the right hand warden:
We will take a closer look at the haversack next week, tonight we are concentrating on the respirator itself:
Returning to the ARP Handbook No1, the following description was provided for the mask:
and has a protuberance on the left cheek to which a microphone can be attached for those regularly employed of telephone work.
The facepiece is held in position on the face by elastic bands passing round the back of the head. These can be adjusted for fit and comfort by means of buckles.
The rubber of the facepiece fits tightly round the end of the container and is secured by means of a metal band, or, in earlier examples, by cord.
There were three different patterns of canister on these masks, the MK I was made of waterproofed cardboard with metal ends. The MK II was identical but made entirely from metal. The third pattern is the one one this mask:
C.D. Mark III: an improved and slightly larger container, which is in fact identical with the container of the civilian respirator except that the charcoal in it has a higher degree of activation. The main effect of this difference is that the container can absorb more gas before becoming saturated- i.e. That it’s effective life in use is longer. In this container the inlet valve is at the inner end, and can itself be disinfected, so that no absorbent pad is required as in the case of the Mark I and II patterns.
The Mark III container is distinguished from the civilian respirator container by having a red band round the black lacquered body.
This design of respirator continued in service with the Civil Defence into the post war period and was used throughout the 1950s and into the 60s. Of the three main designs of early war respirator (Civilian, Civilian Duty and Service), it is probably the least recognised, but served for decades, thankfully never for real.
The inside of the pack is accessed through a large flap on the top of the pack, secured with both Velcro and press studs:
The inside of the pack is lined with a grey nylon and has the pack’s NSN number and designation printed on in black ink:
A simple open pocket is sewn to one side of the pack:
Whilst a shorter, but wider pocket is sewn to the opposite side, secured with a velcroed flap:
A third much larger pocket is attached to the base and secured with a zip:
The pack is designed to be worn over the shoulder and an adjustable strap is provided for this purpose, along with a steadying strap to pass around the waist:
This pack was never intended to be permanently attached to a web set, however a belt loop is provided for this purpose if so desired:
Underneath this are a pair of T-Clips to allow it to be securely attached to a PLCE belt:
This pack was short lived and quickly replaced with the similar but not identical MTP version we covered 
Both are tin metal boxes, with a rubber inlet valve on the rear:
The front has a green tin grill through which air would pass when assembled on a mask and used:
Inside the canister was a particulate filter and a layer of charcoal:
The official description of the canister was:
To fit a new canister to a civilian gas mask, the following procedure should be observed:
This scraper has a wooden handle:
And a large metal head:
A piece of rubber is firmly attached to the head:
This acts much like a window cleaner’s squeegee and allows the gas to be effectively scraped off. It is interesting to note that unusually the rubber on this scraper is still supple and hasn’t hardened or cracked at all and it would be as effective today as it was when it was made.
The only indication of the maker are the letter MHB. MHB appears as a makers mark stamped on a large number of military tools, sadly I have been unable to identify an exact manufacturer, even on Grace’s Guide.
The details of the contents are printed onto the front of the tin in black letters:
The style of tin was almost certainly produced by Joseph Pickering & Son Ltd of Sheffield and it is believed that this style of tin dates from after 1953.
Dubbin was first invented in the mediæval period as a waterproofing agent and traditionally consisted of a mix of wax, oil and tallow that acted both as a proofing agent and as a feed for leather. It is an oily, waxy substance and is still used today alongside more modern synthetic substitutes.
These are incredibly simple and cheap mittens and I suspect they were designed to be used once and then thrown away once contaminated. The mittens have separate thumbs and forefingers and the tips of the fingers are exposed, presumably to give a bit more manual dexterity at the ends of the digits with just one layer of fabric rather than two:
The wrist has a simple tape and stamped metal buckle:
This is used to tighten the mittens to hold them secure:
This particular pair are stamped in the inside with a date of 1944 and a /|\ mark:
As well as British manufacturers I have also seen Canadian examples so they were certainly produced there as well and Air ministry marked examples. Concrete evidence of their use is limited, although there is a reference to cotton over mittens in the 1939 Manual of Protection against Gas and Air Raids and this excellent photograph shows a man decontaminating food cans whilst wearing them: 
I do not believe these were general issue items, but only handed out to those who needed them for a specific role such as decontamination teams. If anyone can provide more information or further photographic evidence please get in contact