French Army Canteen
French Army Canteen Mod.47/51
1951
....
Nomenclature
History
Known as:
Le Bidon/Gourde Militaire Française Modèle 1947
At the End of the 1940's, the Gourde Mle 1935 was still in
use. However this water bottle had various disadvantages. It is true that it
held 2 litres of liquid, but it was carried by means of a shoulder strap. It
was rather cumbersome and was no longer adaptable for troops rapid deployed on
the battlefield as shown in World War too. Moreover it had no accompanying cup.
Thus in the late 1940’s a new type of canteen was supplied to the French
troops. This was the Gourde Mle 1947. The Gourde Mle 1947 was based on the Mle
1884, 1 litre steel flask, approved in July 1884, and intended for the cavalry
(also used by foot shooters and bicycle shooters). The shape was similar and it
also included a cup fitted at the bottom of the gourde. However the new gourde
was not carried by shoulder strap but attached to the webbing belt by two loops
in the canteen carrier (housse de gourde). The gourde is made of two mild steel
halves, stamped into shape and welded together at the side. The process used in
making the canteen is similar to that of the various types produced for army
use since the mid 1800’s. Unfortunately the metal of which it is made rusts
easily and the pewtering (a coating of a mixture of tin and other metals) does
not help to avoid corrosion. It has a cork stopper similar to the British
Patt’37 Water Bottle, but is attached to the bottle by a short chain affixed to
a revolving aluminium collar situated round the neck of the mouthpiece.
Various companies, such as JAPY, FAYMONT and LE
MOULIN-LEGUMES were engaged in the production of the Gourde Mle 1947. This
canteen has no felt cover. The gourde came with an accompanying quart (cup)
which fits snugly into the lower part of the flask. The cup is made of
aluminium and has two butterfly handles 4x4.5cms. Aware of the limits of the
cups used in the field up to that time and faced with the example of the US
cup, the English cup of the Patt’44 canteen or even the simple English mug, the
quart Mle1947 was created. It was based on the US canteen cup but with smaller
capacity. In fact it held half the capacity of the US cup and was eventually
replaced by the Mle 52, similar to most post-war cups both in US and Western
Europe. The cups of the Gourde Mle1947 were made by various companies such as
AML, Cabanes (Paris), Depruines (Plomblieres) and MMT (Tournus). The housse de
gourde (canteen carrier) is made of tough green canvas and hangs to the webbing
RAPCO belt by two canvas loops sewed on to the cover. The first type of cover
had U.S. type Lift The Dot (LTD) buttons while the second type had press-on
stud buttons. Two other types of cover which are not very common are the ones
with sewed on stud buttons and the ones with normal metal buttons and button
holes. These canteens were first issued to the French airborne troops (Troupes
AéroPortées – TAP) but later on were generalized and issued to all troops
serving in the far east (Corps expéditionnaire français en Extrême-Orient -
CEFEO). Eventually it was used by French Metropolitan, the French Foreign
Legion and Colonial forces throughout the Indochina War. It was used also
during the French War in Algeria until it was replaced by the Gourde Mle 1952.
However, it is iconic of the French War in Indochina and Siege of Dien Bien
Phu. The gourde in the collection was made by Moulin-Legumes of Bagnolet. The
company was born in Bagnolet in 1929 by Jean Mantelet. It was famous for
kitchen utensils. Eventually it became reknowned Moulinex. The cup was made by
Manufacture Metallurgique de Tournus (MMT-Tournus) and is dated 1951. The cover,
on the other hand is the product of Depruines of Plombieres and closes by
press-on stud buttons.
Feathures
Specification
Nomenclature
Logistics
Production
SELECTED ARTWORKS IN THE COLLECTION
....
Gourde modèle 47/51 complète armée française
Indochine/Algérie. Housse 2ème type, quelques accrocs, taches, des trous et
léchures de mites dans la doublure à l’intérieur, tampons du fabricant et Armée
sont présents. Gourde repeinte, il manque la chainette du bouchon, bien marquée
du fabricant et datée 1952. Quart présentant de nombreuses griffures, sale, à
nettoyer, nom et prénom sont gravés ainsi que les initiales en dessous, bien
marqué du fabricant.
Known as: Le Bidon/Gourde Militaire Française Modèle 1947
ReplyDeleteAt the End of the 1940's, the Gourde Mle 1935 was still in use. However this water bottle had various disadvantages. It is true that it held 2 litres of liquid, but it was carried by means of a shoulder strap. It was rather cumbersome and was no longer adaptable for troops rapid deployed on the battlefield as shown in World War too. Moreover it had no accompanying cup. Thus in the late 1940’s a new type of canteen was supplied to the French troops. This was the Gourde Mle 1947.
The Gourde Mle 1947 was based on the Mle 1884, 1 litre steel flask, approved in July 1884, and intended for the cavalry (also used by foot shooters and bicycle shooters). The shape was similar and it also included a cup fitted at the bottom of the gourde. However the new gourde was not carried by shoulder strap but attached to the webbing belt by two loops in the canteen carrier (housse de gourde).
The gourde is made of two mild steel halves, stamped into shape and welded together at the side. The process used in making the canteen is similar to that of the various types produced for army use since the mid 1800’s. Unfortunately the metal of which it is made rusts easily and the pewtering (a coating of a mixture of tin and other metals) does not help to avoid corrosion. It has a cork stopper similar to the British Patt’37 Water Bottle, but is attached to the bottle by a short chain affixed to a revolving aluminium collar situated round the neck of the mouthpiece. Various companies, such as JAPY, FAYMONT and LE MOULIN-LEGUMES were engaged in the production of the Gourde Mle 1947. This canteen has no felt cover.
The gourde came with an accompanying quart (cup) which fits snugly into the lower part of the flask. The cup is made of aluminium and has two butterfly handles 4x4.5cms. Aware of the limits of the cups used in the field up to that time and faced with the example of the US cup, the English cup of the Patt’44 canteen or even the simple English mug, the quart Mle1947 was created. It was based on the US canteen cup but with smaller capacity. In fact it held half the capacity of the US cup and was eventually replaced by the Mle 52, similar to most post-war cups both in US and Western Europe. The cups of the Gourde Mle1947 were made by various companies such as AML, Cabanes (Paris), Depruines (Plomblieres) and MMT (Tournus).
The housse de gourde (canteen carrier) is made of tough green canvas and hangs to the webbing RAPCO belt by two canvas loops sewed on to the cover. The first type of cover had U.S. type Lift The Dot (LTD) buttons while the second type had press-on stud buttons. Two other types of cover which are not very common are the ones with sewed on stud buttons and the ones with normal metal buttons and button holes.
These canteens were first issued to the French airborne troops (Troupes AéroPortées – TAP) but later on were generalized and issued to all troops serving in the far east (Corps expéditionnaire français en Extrême-Orient - CEFEO). Eventually it was used by French Metropolitan, the French Foreign Legion and Colonial forces throughout the Indochina War. It was used also during the French War in Algeria until it was replaced by the Gourde Mle 1952. However, it is iconic of the French War in Indochina and Siege of Dien Bien Phu.
The gourde in the collection was made by Moulin-Legumes of Bagnolet. The company was born in Bagnolet in 1929 by Jean Mantelet. It was famous for kitchen utensils. Eventually it became reknowned Moulinex. The cup was made by Manufacture Metallurgique de Tournus (MMT-Tournus) and is dated 1951. The cover, on the other hand is the product of Depruines of Plombieres and closes by press-on stud buttons.