wwii axis reenactment forum

These are harder to get than boots and a decent one is almost as expensive.
I found a pic on Google from a site called blitz and pieces
They have a great gallery section including this pic of an unusual rucksack which has features of both infantry and mountain troop M31's.
Just wondering if anyone's here knows if it's genuine?

A pic might help

ATF repros.

Yes , it's possibly genuine , though not typical . M31 Mountain are expensive , but certainly not as expensive as boots . Ebay. de is the place to get em , though I imagine the p&p will be eye watering There are no decent repros . Wait , and one will appear - also , if you're handy , a slightly salty one will generally be cheaper and repairable

Horrido !

This is the only clearish foto Mr Google has of Handschar in all thier mountain finery.
Is it just my eyesight or are they carrying something totally different to the standard M31 mountain troop rucksack?

Definitely an M31,but a black fez?

Your first photo does indeed show a rucksack that is very similar if not identical to the one you pictured originally . Handschar and Prinz Eugen Divisions were indeed provided with a range of equipment , from the very latest in technology to that of their former enemies ( French tanks , Yugo MGs for example ) .

The Fez in the last picture seems to have no insignia - maybe it's a civilian type , as the soldier in question is in stores and has maybe had his issue of new uniform ?

I take it you've read through some of the excellent threads on this forum under Foreign volunteers ? There also exists a lot of info on the Axis History forum .


Horrido !

Bitchenfuhrer wrote:A pic might help

GERMAN MOUNTAIN TROOPS RUCKSACK.jpg

Looks like early postwar West-German police rucksack. I have several in different colours - this olive-green is probably from Hamburg Police.

I've settled on this one.
Sadly I've just found out my lower back looks like swiss cheese so no heavy lifting.
Its being sold as a gebirgsjaegers rucksack,although I have doubts.
Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks for IDing the first one Fritz.Shame it's not legit.
Is that what German police use to carry their donuts in?
I've worked out that the guy in the black fez is swearing allegiance to Hitler.
Apparently hand on your heart is Bosnian for "I swear" instead of raising the right hand.

It's not a GJ rucksack , though that's not to say GJ didn't use them , especially SS units fighting in the Balkans , and your picture of the Handschar soldiers seems to support that .

That rucksack in the first picture is indeed a postwar police. I think hamburg, lower saxonia and Northrhine-Westphalia had similar ones but in different colours (green, field grey). There is also a KVP rucksack (Kasernierte Volkspolizei in east germany) which looks like the artillery rucksack, but with ONE additional bag on the outside of that rucksack. A lot of that stuff is sold as german before 1945, but if you buy it at a good price, why not using it? We are reenactors and not collectors (well - there might a be some overlap ; - )
At the front is doing a nice Gebirgsjaeger Rucksack, I have a few originlas, but is one is still smiling at me!

Feix the Kraut

mutabornomine wrote:That rucksack in the first picture is indeed a postwar police. I think hamburg, lower saxonia and Northrhine-Westphalia had similar ones but in different colours (green, field grey). There is also a KVP rucksack (Kasernierte Volkspolizei in east germany) which looks like the artillery rucksack, but with ONE additional bag on the outside of that rucksack. A lot of that stuff is sold as german before 1945, but if you buy it at a good price, why not using it? We are reenactors and not collectors (well - there might a be some overlap ; - )
At the front is doing a nice Gebirgsjaeger Rucksack, I have a few originlas, but is one is still smiling at me!

Feix the Kraut

My opinion - to be a good reenactor you have to be authentic. If you reenact East German KVP - then you can use a KVP Rucksack. If you reenact Wehrmacht you can NOT use a KVP rucksack or a west german police rucksack - you have to use a Wehrmacht rucksack. This should go without saying.
If you start this way you will end up using austrian y-straps, DDR breadbags, BW mess tins, NVA boots, post war fire fighter helmets - why not, the stuff looks similar to Wehrmacht equipment, so where is the problem?
The problem is - you make yourself look ridiculous.
If you look stupid when you go bowling it is not a problem - but reenactment deals with a serious topic and you should behave appropriately.
And if one cannot afford the correct stuff he should look for a different hobby...
But - as always - "suum quique"!