~ 1914 French Infantry Backpack With Its Equipment ~
This is a 1914 canvas backpack composed of an interior wooden frame covered in an unpainted canvas body in tan and olive colours. The wooden frame was made of thin planks. The backpack has six brown leather straps with metal buckles:
2 Courroies de Capote (Greatcoat Straps), or top straps, fixed onto top of pack, one on each side.
2 Courroies de Côté (Side Straps) fixed onto lower sides of pack.
1 Grande Courroie de Charge (Large Load Strap), the central load-bearing strap, it runs across the top and (outward) back surface of pack.
1 Courroie de Sautoir (Cross Strap), used to secure the e-tool to the pack. When not in use, it is kept inside pack.
The backpack set includes:
– canvas backpack with brown leather edging
– tent canvas rolled into horseshoe and placed over top and sides of pack
– folding canvas bucket placed flat, on the back of the pack
– tin/cooking pot with lid placed on the top of the tent canvas and secured by big load strap
– tent pegs with metal mounts (5 pieces)
The tent canvas is signed ‘CHAUVEL’. The canvas folding bucket reads ‘LAMBRES’. The backpack is signed and stamped in several places but it is hard to read.
~ Dimensions ~
The backpack is 14 inches (35.5cm) wide by 11 inches (28cm) high and 4.5 inches (11.5cm) deep.
The folding bucket has total length of 11.5 inches (29cm) with the diameter of 9.25 inches (23.5cm).
Each wooden tool is approx. 13.75 inches (35cm) long.
The cooking pot is 4 inches (10cm) high with the lid diameter of 6 inches (15cm).
The tent canvas is 60 inches (152.5cm) wide and 62 inches (157cm) long.
The total weight is approx. 3.5 kg.
~ Condition ~
The condition of the set is very decent with some signs of use as expected.
The leather straps and edges of the backpack are slightly cracked. The tent canvas has numerous stains as well as the folding bucket. The metal pot has blackened and the metal parts of the pegs are rusty.