wandering the battlefields

To clean the rust you could use some FERUGINOL you can buy it from Brico or any similar shop. But use it only on small areas, it cleans only the surface rust, but you don’t have to scrub it any more. It is very efficient.

Some info about using FERUGINOL: it is toxic so use an gas mask of some sort and work in an ventilated space (I used an WWII German gas mask , I cleaned it before using it, and it worked but I don’t recommend it, not all old gas masks are still in working condition); it corrodes anything it touches in contact with except plastic and also doesn’t clean pain but it cleans the blackened coat from bayonet scabbard and gun barrels.

Hallo ANDI,

Please be very careful wearing old gas masks of Ww1 or WW2 vintage, there is asbestos in the filters which is now known as a cancer causing agent!!!

Sorry this should be more correctly addressed to mihnea with respect the Gas-mask, Ww1 German, French, Austrian, Belgian and British gasmasks have been found to contain trace elements of WW1 poison gas in recent years and still are able to make you sick or die, so gas-mask users beware. ,

Kevin in Deva

This post has been edited by New Connaught Ranger on August 18, 2006 08:01 am

Hi Kevin!
Unfortunately I don't have a ww1 or ww2 gas mask in my collection but even if I have had one, I would have certainly listened to your advice.
Thank you.

To clean the rust you could use some FERUGINOL you can buy it from Brico or any similar shop. But use it only on small areas, it cleans only the surface rust, but you don’t have to scrub it any more. It is very efficient.

Some info about using FERUGINOL: it is toxic so use an gas mask of some sort and work in an ventilated space (I used an WWII German gas mask , I cleaned it before using it, and it worked but I don’t recommend it, not all old gas masks are still in working condition); it corrodes anything it touches in contact with except plastic and also doesn’t clean pain but it cleans the blackened coat from bayonet scabbard and gun barrels.

Hallo ANDI,

Please be very careful wearing old gas masks of Ww1 or WW2 vintage, there is asbestos in the filters which is now known as a cancer causing agent!!!

Sorry this should be more correctly addressed to mihnea with respect the Gas-mask, Ww1 German, French, Austrian, Belgian and British gasmasks have been found to contain trace elements of WW1 poison gas in recent years and still are able to make you sick or die, so gas-mask users beware. ,

Kevin in Deva

Thanks for the info. I have just bought two new gas masks one German WWII, unused, (the filter had the plug on) and a Russian post war GP 5 also brand new (also with the filter also plugged) . Both work perfectly .

Can you put some pictures with the gas masks?

Sure you can see them here: http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=3516 .

Thanks Kevin for the tip!
I have a gas masc and I was going to test it....
Thank's a lot.
I forgot about the asbest

Here is the grenade from Verdun (it was a bonus for buying the 2 helmets). The store was full of battlefield relics.

This seems to be an empty french F1 model 1915 hand grenade. I am not sure about the wire around its body, but my guess is that it was a "feature" made on the field, with attaching hooks (now missing).

This post has been edited by ANDI on December 15, 2006 07:38 am

I am back with some new photos, taken on the old Carpathian border.

...again some m93, 6.5mm spent cartridges....


..and one empty clip for them...


This post has been edited by ANDI on May 15, 2007 06:35 pm

... a cache of M95 8mm Steyr cartridges...a nice find.

...deadly splinters and shell fragments. You can even see the copper driving band on one of them. They were 10cm long and about 5 to 7 cm wide.

...and the most interesting find was this sealed can. Unopened. It was lying just under the leaves. It had only some small rust holes (remember, this is from ww1) and thus, empty after all these years.