Polish-Romanian Mod.35 (wz.32) gasmask, Story of ex-polish gasmasks in Rom. Army

Hello, this will be my first post here

I found this site after short conversation on Axishistory.com. I am collector and an enthusiast of military history (Polish Army 1918-1939). I found on axishistory.com some curious photos of Romanian reenactors and noticed that some of them are using polish "wz.32" gasmasks.






And few original:


That mask, this soldier is wearing is a polish wz.32 type. As a great-fan of polish military history i've heard that some quantity of those masks have been sold to Romania in early 1935. There ofcourse have been a little scandal with this. Could You guys tell me something more about how it was used in Romanian Army ? By what type of soldiers (for example infantry ?). Was the production started in Romania ?

All those i had seen were made as polish WZ.32 mask in version with long pipe. Only difference between standard polish mask and romanian version i've noticed is different markings and manual in Romanian language. I assume that some were sold and Romania problably also bought a license and started own production of them. I've seen some pictures of those masks in net and they are different (bag) than original polish.

Example (probably Romanian production):


And few photos of original polish production (for Polish Army - those made for Romanian for sale had stamps and manual in Romanian).



This post has been edited by bolas on November 18, 2006 03:45 pm

Hello bolas, nice to see you here.

For those interested in gas mask this is nice site: http://gasmasklexikon.com/Page/Start01.htm although it presents the Romanian Md35 there is nothing about a Romanian manufactured Md32.

Is there someone on this forum that owns a gas mask used by Romanian troops in WWII?

Not in early 1935. The initial agreement was signed on 16 October, 1934. And the second one - on 13 December, 1934.

Wrong. There was not any scandal. Even if it could be.

Why not?

These masks were produced in Romaniia on the Polish licence.

I like your fast answer, but how do you know such exact dates, is there a book regarding the polish gas masks?

I’m rather sure that there is no Romanian book presenting these dates.

Do you know the years of production are any other details regarding the differences between the Romanian and Polish gas masks?

Not in Romania. But in Poland it exists. I have published this book more than a year ago: On the Brink of Risk Export of the Polish Military Equipment in the Interwar Period. The book was written in Polish, unfortunately.

I don't have any document concerning technical details (even if I know where are documents needed to clear this question). If you are interested - I can find some facts concerning production... soon. [I]

I'm sorry I asked a rhetorical question. I found this topic where you posted the scanned convention: http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?sh...1072&hl=gasmask

This post has been edited by mihnea on November 17, 2006 08:02 pm

Woj if my brain works corectly i should fell on my knees now - your book is quite interesting, i have it of course. Did you also have been writting about Zaolzie (autor initials M.P.D.)?

Gasmasklexicon website is not quite correct and precise about polish masks - there are many mistakes. I am little curious about those masks because i had already published few articles in POland about this type of mask, and right now i am preapering a new one.

All masks produced in Poland from series to be sent to Romania are usually stamped with date 1935. It means for sure that thay couldnt be sent earlier to Romania than in first peroid of 1935. Maybe agrement was made in fall 1934 but real transaction was made after. I have one of them now in my private collection , and earier had two others. I also have seen some others - all looks the same.

Here are few photos of my private mask, contidion is poor unfortunately:
This one was produced in Radom in Poland specialy to be exported to Romania. As You can see the bag is a little different than romanian one posted by me in my first post. It also have romanian markings (although it was produced in Poland), and romanian manual. It is also identical to polish wz.32 gasmask in version with long tube produced since 1935.



In our private correspondation "mihnea" said that most of those masks were used by romanian officers. Could anyone say why ?

This post has been edited by bolas on November 18, 2006 02:24 am

I didn’t wanted to say most of them were used by officers, but most of the ones used by officers survived (most of the surviving ones are marked "OFITER").

This post has been edited by mihnea on November 18, 2006 06:43 am

Probably i had misunderstood your reply
Have you got any photos with this stamp "OFITER" ? I've seen only one. It looks like it was made in factory - so is it connected with some kind of selection this type of mask only for officers ?

How does usually those Mod.35 masks looked like ? What type have been produced ? In Poland they have been produced in many versions - but two minor were with short or long air-tube. There was a difference of wearing them in gas-alarm situation. Mask with short tube in gasalarm was wearing on the chest (whole bag). It also had a different main belt system (easier to make it shorter fast). Second one, with long tube was weared in alarm normaly on a side (in Poland on right). All i've seen already with romanian stamps looked like version with long tube. Polish masks with long tube had been stamped with signature "WZ.32/DŁ" (DŁ - długa - long in polish). As i noticed the same was with those produced in Radom for Romanians - they have "Md.35/L" (dont know what this "L" means in romanian but i assume it's synonim of english "long" in romanian).

How many and which manufacturers were producing those masks ?

Do you have any informations what kind of ROmanian units have been usiing those masks ? In Polish Army masks with long tube were issued mostly to infantry, cavarly. Version with short tube was used in vehicles and in artillery.

Another thing. After watching those few photos i've found with romanians Mod.35 masks i am curious why some of them are with bags (like original polish) and some of them have metal containers (little similar to german). Is it effect of some kind of modernization of this mask ? If yes, when have it happend and why ? Also with those "modification" the gasfilter was changed. Bigger one, like in original polish wz.32 was replaced with smaller one.

This post has been edited by bolas on November 18, 2006 03:52 pm

I think you are a bit confused with the Romanian Md32 and Md35 gas masks.

Although in 1934/35 the license was bought by the Romanians the gas mask made was called Md32 (after the polish one).

In 1935 a new gas mask was made for civilian use, named Md35; the only resemblance with the Md32 was the face mask, the rest was different. It used a metal container and a small cylindrical filter attached directly to the face mask. This new model was produced by Sarogaz, A.G.V. and F.M.P. the last one also produced the Md32. All the Md35 gas masks I have seen were made in 1938 and 1939.

On tuesday I was at the National Military Museum and I have seen the gas mask that they have, unfortunately I was not allowed to take any pictures. But what I have seen there clarified many unknown details regarding the Md 32 gas mask.

Firstly the Md 32 gas mask was built by all three factories: Sarogaz, FMP and AGV (but most of the gas mask in the collection are made by FMP).

Secondly there exist two different models: one for the Officers (marked "Ofiter" on the bag, the face mask and on the filter) and another for the soldiers (it has a number instead of the "Ofiter" marking).

Thirdly on some gas mask bags after the model there was an "L" (probably from lung = long) but I was unable to measure the tubes as the rubber hardened on most gas masks.

Finally there was only one Polish Md 32 face mask connected to an odd Md 35 AGV filter bigger than the standard one.

Today I bought an Md 32 face mask from a fair in good condition unfortunately it is without anything else; I will post pictures this week.

My Md 32 face mask . Bought yesterday from a fair, odd enough, the seller had another Md 32 face mask made by FMP for sale, but that one had the rubber a bit more stiff, so I chose this one made by Sarogaz. Unfortunately the price was high 30 lei (2 weeks ago I bought an Md 35 face mask with filter in the same condition for 7 lei ).




The marking from top to bottom: type, manufacturer, production date (month and year), serial number the same was on the bag and filter (on officer gas masks instead of a number it's written "OFITER"), I don’t know what the "0" stands for; the big roman II on the left is the size (there were 3 sizes), beneath that is the army receiving stamp.




The only major exterior difference: The different exhaling tube, the tunnel above holds a small sphere that travels the length of the tube. But this difference is not present on all the Md 32 gas mask, I have seen both at MMN and at the guy I bought this face mask, Md 32 face masks with the Md 35 exhaling tube all made by FMP (made in the factory not modified).

Md 32 and Md 35 Sarogaz face masks side by side.

Thanks for your reply mihnea !
That is very interesting one.

Polish wz.32 masks were also produced in versions for ordinary soldiers and those who had command functions (not only for officers - but also for NCO's). Those soldiers, who had to command wore mask, they wore special variation of this mask. In the face-part of the mask on its metal nose grip there was a little whistle mounted. You can see this difference on photos you posted. So i see the only difference is that Romanians stamped masks for oficcers with "OFITER" stamp instead serial number - all polish wz.32 masks usualy have only a number. There is no other difference between masks for oficcers/NCO's and ordinary soldiers (without this nose-grip with or without whistle inside).

By the way what is a relation between Romanian Lei and Euro ?

This post has been edited by bolas on November 28, 2006 05:12 pm

What model is the showel of the soldier with "cusma"??? I wonder if mihnea or someone could help me.

Thanks for the info on the whistle. (tested it and it works )

What is again interesting regarding the exhaling tube with whistle is that I have seen at MMN (National Military Museum) masks marked “OFITER” without it and in my case a mask that is not marked "OFITER" has the whistle. This last detail makes me wonder why some gas masks were marked "OFITER" .

One euro is about 3,5 lei, but here is the exact rate: http://www.curs-valutar.ro/insert-curs-valutar.php .