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Background history
A flask belonged to the set of basic and exceptionally vital elements of every Polish soldier’s equipment in September 1939. Changeable combat conditions required soldiers to constantly refill liquids. After the September Campaign, the flask, along with a mess tin and a mug, as items of personal belongings, often accompanied the soldier taken captive during his stay in a POW camp. The genesis of the flask designed for soldiers serving in the Army of the Second Republic of Poland is exceptionally interesting, since already the 1920s saw the first attempts to make a universal flask, large enough, yet light and practical at the same time. A few designs were prepared at the Technical Institute of the Commissariat (TIC) and by some private firms, according to which short series of flasks were manufactured. They were then given out to soldiers in army detachments for testing and evaluating their potential drawbacks and strong sides in everyday use. As a result, an optimal flask was finally created at the TIC, connecting the advantages of all the previous constructions. It was signed "Model 1937" and was introduced as part of the regular soldier’s equipment. It was a successfully completed design and so innovatory for its time that it was eventually patented in 1939. In the production process, each flask had its serial number and the patent number was inserted on the cap. A great advantage of "Model 1937" was its broad neck which facilitated keeping the inside clean and allowed filling and emptying it quickly. Its big advantage was also that it was possible to use the flask instead of a mess fit – as a vessel to contain, e.g., 0.8 liter of soup. Probably the only drawback of the model was the lack of a protective cover, which necessitated keeping the flask in the haversack. This, in turn, caused the liquids contained in the flask to either cool down or warm up quickly. Flasks, mess fits and metal mugs make popular mementos given over to the Museum, frequently after being found in the area of former POW camps. The variety of forms and shapes of these vessels is a proof of their coming from different countries of Europe and the world. They bear also different markings (manufacturer’s original or inscribed by hand), still they all remind us that in the camp life reality the question of feeding was of primary significance. In his diary kept in Stalag 318/ VIII F (344) Lamsdorf (Łambinowice), Sergey Voropaiev, a Soviet POW, wrote: "[…] 20 IV 44. It is two years today since I found myself in Germany, in POW camps. I’ve been hungry for two years. I dread to think that during the two years man has never been full for once […]." Germans, who wanted to humiliate POWs even more, did not give out meals to those who had no dishes of their own. For emaciated people that was a cruel punishment. The situation looked much better in POW camps designed for soldiers of other nationalities, where the interned received food packets. There were camp canteens functioning there and POWs were able to grow vegetables in small gardens near the bunkhouses. The dishes, flasks, mess fits and items of cutlery, which POWs made use of while staying in captivity, make a very important element of the POW history today.
Prepared by: Beata Madej
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Soldier's flask
Source of acquisition
This particular soldier’s flask was found on 12 April 1966 in the area of the former Stalag 344 Lamsdorf.
Description of the item
A Polish soldier’s flask, model 1937, with the marking on its neck "Światowid 1939 Myszków", "M.S.WOJSK.INT.45", "88402". A flask with a flattened bottom making it possible to stand upright, the back side slightly concave, the front part protruding lengthwise, which was meant to prevent it from crushing. The characteristic feature is the wide filling hole strengthened with a thick threaded flange, the whole, including the cap, being made of pure aluminum. On the flask there are embossed markings of the manufacturer and commissioning "F.W.A B 1939", "Światowid 1939", "H. Ludwików 1938". The item bears traces of mechanical damage.
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