WWI Era English Model Canvas Gas Mask Respirator and Tank

1982.17.10AB Gift of American Legion Post 197

This popular contender beat out the competition in our Artifact of Month poll just in time for us to close our doors due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and Governor Newsom’s Shelter-in-Place orders. We installed it while we were closed, along with three, fresh new exhibitions, for our guests to have something new to see once we were able to open up again. Since it was so popular in our guest poll, we decided to leave it up a little longer – from mid-June through the end of July. It’s a great reminder of sacrifices made for the greater good.

Could you imagine wearing a mask like this? It was said to be dreadfully uncomfortable with its built-in rubber nose clip, snorkel-like mouthpiece, and cumbersome respirator tank that was carried in a canvas satchel around the neck.

World War I, also known as the Great War, lasted from July 1914 to November 1918. It was the first time poisonous gas was used in battle. U.S. troops did not have a standard gas mask for combat, so they eventually adopted the British version. The use of chlorine gas by the Germans received widespread condemnation and the Geneva Protocol of 1925 banned the use of chemical weapons.

To visit Turtle Bay and learn more about our WWI Era English Model Gas Mask, visit turtlebay.org/admission-reservations and reserve timed entry into Turtle Bay Exploration Park.