M31 Combat Canteen by MN42

A highly appealing, original WWII German M31 combat canteen (Feldflasche 31), showcasing a classic wartime depot-assembled or field-mixed configuration. The canteen body, felt cover, and canvas straps are manufactured in 1942 by the prominent firm Metallindustrie GmbH from Neunkirchen (MN). It is paired with an early, pre-war 1936-dated aluminum cup that features a fascinating scratched-out veteran personalization. This textbook combination of a mid-war canteen with a durable pre-war aluminum cup perfectly mirrors the realities of German frontline equipment issues and replacements during the war.

This Item
The canteen assembly is in nice, untouched, and field-used condition throughout. The Canteen & Cover: The aluminum canteen flask is crisply stamped MN 42 on the neck. The original felt cover remains entirely intact with no moth damage. It correctly features the textbook vertical brown leather reinforcement loops on the front and back to support the straps, and all four steel closure press-studs with their distinct star-pattern function perfectly. The interior reinforcement rim is cleanly matching-stamped MN 42. The Straps & Cap: The webbing harness is complete, constructed from a textbook mid-war mix of green canvas/webbing and black leather reinforcement points. The strap is clearly MN stamped, and the metal end-tip retains its original green finish with the crisp manufacturer's hallmark: LUX. The clip retains much of its original green paint and functions well. The black Bakelite screw-cap is complete with its internal red rubber gasket. The Cup: A large-model pre-war aluminum drinking cup, retaining approximately 85% of its original black-painted finish. The interior rim is clearly stamped with the manufacturer and date: L&SL 1936 (Linnepe & Schiffer, Lüdenscheid). Adding immense historical character, the original owner personalized the front of the cup during the period, which was later scratched out by a subsequent user or during capture.