| Place | Europe: Germany |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL32500 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Personal Equipment |
| Physical description | Canvas, Cotton drill, Cow hide, Leather, White metal, Wood |
| Maker |
Otto Koberstein |
| Place made | Germany: Bavaria |
| Date made | 1940 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Backpack : German Army
Description
German Army backpack. The pack is made of unshaven tanned cowhide, with the reddish brown hair to the outside, rendering it waterproof. The top flap is closed by a pair of broad leather straps with six slots for adjustment. These fit over metal loops on the front of the pack, and are secured in place by leather and metal sliding straps. On the back are leather and metal shoulder straps designed to attach to the front of the waist belt. Each of these straps is impressed with the date '1935' and also stamped in black with the unit details '10./J.R.23 I' and a number of other illegible markings. These straps are attached to the leather top bar of the pack with swivel-armed rivets which can be removed from the inside of the pack. The centre of the top bar is impressed with the maker's name 'Otto Koberstein LANDSBERG', a Nazi eagle and swastika, the date '1940' and the markings 'W-A100'. When the top flap is opened, the front of the pack lowers to form a triangular cavity lined with grey-green cotton fabric. This feature, as well as the short top flap, distinguishes it from the ordinary issue M34 pack. The inside of the front panel contains a leather tube secured by a leather flap and steel post. There is also a large cotton pocket with a flap secured by a pair of leather straps and buckles. A pair of smaller open topped pockets are sewn to the front of this pocket. The square main body of the pack has a leather strap and buckle located at the upper left and lower right corners.
History / Summary
This German Army backpack (known as the 'Tornister', meaning 'knapsack') was obtained by Nikita 'Nik' Iljin in about 1945, while he was living in Displaced Persons camps in West Germany. Nik Iljin was raised in Danzig (now Gdansk) in western Prussia, but fled with his family from the advancing Russian Army in 1945. He bartered shoes to a fellow camp inmate to obtain the pack, which he brought to Australia when he emigrated in 1950. When the pack was originally acquired, it contained medical supplies and internal partitions, which Mr Iljin subsequently removed.