BACKGROUND: During WWII the German army fielded nine Mountain Divisions with an additional six Waffen-SS Mountain Divisions. Generally speaking the Mountain Divisions were specially trained and equipped Infantry Divisions. Due to the nature of the terrain and the commonly colder climate that the Mountain Divisions were expected to serve in, special clothing, footwear and equipment was developed specifically for their use. Primarily the special equipment developed for the Mountain personnel consisted of winter warfare and mountain climbing related items, and included, skis, ski accessories, crampons, pitons, ice pick axes, snowshoes, snow goggles, rucksacks etc. etc..

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Coarsely woven, olive drab canvas construction Mountain Trooper’s M31 combat rucksack with blackened leather, steel and alloy fittings. The rucksack is roughly 51cm tall, 44cm wide, with 11cm deep side panels. The rucksack features a large fold over top flap with a horizontal stitched seam to the reverse and three stitched on, vertical blackened leather closure straps to the obverse. The top flap closure straps attach to three corresponding, leather reinforced, pronged, sheet metal, buckles situated on the front center of the rucksack body. The top flap also has five stitched on, horizontal blackened leather loops for attaching additional equipment. The top opening of the rucksack, situated under the top flap has sixteen natural alloy grommets with a corresponding, inserted, woven natural tan canvas, closure drawstring. Situated near the bottom of the front body of the rucksack is a roughly, 21cm tall, 37cm wide, 3.5cm deep, patch pocket with a fold over top closure flap. The pocket closure flap has two, stitched on, vertical leather closure straps with dual corresponding, leather reinforced pronged, sheet metal, buckles positioned on the front body of the pocket. The side panels each have a stitched on, vertical leather loop for attaching additional equipment and a 26cm tall, 11cm wide, 3.5cm deep, patch pocket with a fold over top closure flap. The pockets closure flaps each have a single, stitched on, vertical leather closure strap with a corresponding, leather reinforced pronged, sheet metal, buckle positioned on the front body of the pockets. The reverse of the rucksack has a large, square shaped, blackened leather panel, situated near the top edge, with two large inserted steel "D" rings to secure the integral shoulder straps. The square shaped, blackened leather panel is well marked with an impressed RB number. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufactures name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. The tapering, blackened leather shoulder straps each have four length adjustment buckling holes with corresponding leather reinforced, pronged, sheet metal, buckles positioned at each bottom corner of the rucksack. Each of the shoulder straps also have a riveted on, "D" ring to the reverse center. Both of the shoulder straps have a small auxiliary leather strap with a pronged, sheet metal buckle, a studded sheet metal buckle with an integral belt support hook and a transverse piece of leather stitched on the lower ends creating a "T" to prevent loss of the studded buckle and the belt support hooks. The "D" rings on the reverse of the shoulder straps also have small auxiliary leather straps with sheet metal friction clips to one end and five buckling holes to the other ends. These small auxiliary straps are attached to the pronged, sheet metal, buckles positioned at each bottom corner of the rucksack. The interior of the rucksack has a large olive drab cotton pocket to the reverse of the top closure flap with three stitched on, vertical blackened leather closure straps. The internal pocket closure straps attach to three corresponding, leather reinforced, pronged, sheet metal, buckles. The large interior body of the rucksack has an additional large olive drab cotton pocket with three stitched on, vertical blackened leather, button holed, closure straps but the corresponding buttons are absent. The rucksack is in overall good condition with a couple of small picks and pulls and minimal age and usage toning. Textbook Mountain Trooper’s M31 combat rucksack in overall good condition.