WWII BOX SERVICE RESPIRATOR OR GAS MASK, 1938

Box Respirator (Gas mask) supplied to the British Infantry as standard, also used by the Civil Defence and fire personal during the Blitz.

Your comments:

• This particular model is a Mk. IV General Service Respirator or Respirator, Anti-Gas, Mark 4 and is fitted with a WW1-type canister with a slightly different filling. This canister, when fitted to the Mk. IV, is known as Type A, most likely Type A Mk. III and was filled only with charcoal and wool, no particle filter was involved making it absolutely useless in war. These filters were exclusively used for training.
  .......... Anon, UK, 11th of April 2022
  
  
• The military cannister contains Blue Asbestos (Crocidolite) - civilian masks contained white asbestos (Chrysotile).
  
  There was significant excess of mesothelioma (the cancer from asbestos)in the girls who made the military masks at Leyland and Nottingham (Boots).
  
  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1009064/pdf/brjindmed00060-0032.pdf
  .......... Geoff Helliwell, Isle of Man, 24th of October 2011
  
  

A0419